


Fetal Dreams Destroying the Passage of Time

by LacieZ



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Twins, F/F, F/M, M/M, My Unit | Byleth Twins, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:28:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25760617
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LacieZ/pseuds/LacieZ
Summary: Do you know why babies are born crying?  Because they experienced their fetal dreams; memories of their past life turned into a dream.  These dreams may contain the happiness they experience, but also all the pain they had ever faced.  Unable to bear the agony, babies will wipe away all their memories to start over, locking away their pain.Of course, there are always exceptions.  Such as the Eisner twins.  Memories of their past life remain with them and add emotional baggage onto their plate as they try to teach the Blue Lions and the Golden Deers.M!BylethXDimitri, F!BylethXClaudeMore tags to be added.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth/Claude von Riegan
Comments: 42
Kudos: 70





	1. The Jade Thrones

**Author's Note:**

> Hehe it's been a long time since I've decided to post a fanfic.
> 
> I will be updating this weekly, hopefully every OTHER Sunday. I'll also try to give mass releases when I reach enough stock chapters. My chapters might be longer if there's a lot of canon dialogue so that I can get some more original stuff out to you guys.
> 
> At the end of my chapters I am writing small blurbs of my thoughts when writing the chapters and quick thanks to all my commenters and readers. 
> 
> Feel free to shoot me questions critiques or whatever you guys like so I can keep in mind as I write! 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for reading! Kisses!

To have a twin is like having a part of yourself independent from your thoughts and body. Because they are independent, change is inevitable and they slowly become their own person. And while this realization is suffocatingly lonely, they remain an unfading part of you. This is how the Eisner twins have always felt, long since their first memories, long before they were named Byleth and Belial. Life times ago, perhaps even in a different universe, they had been born into a time of peace and the amidst the sounds of gunshots. It was a world where nations no longer fought with one another with wars but with money and civilians no longer knew the unending screams of a battlefield. Advanced technology made up for the nonexistence of magic and pushed mankind to stray away from crude violence. In this world of peace, the twins were born in the dirty Underworld, generations of their blood stained with crime. It was a place where the advancement of technology was focused on furthering the potential of weapons and foul medical malpractice. In such a place, it was no wonder they died an early death.

With bullets wedged into their chests, the twins had been sure of their deaths. And yet once again, their eyes fluttered open and they were met with tears raining onto their cheeks. A man with blonde hair gazed down at them, carefully but firmly keeping them in his hold. His golden eyes were moist with tears while his jaw clenched to keep sobs from spilling. This man was Jeralt, the very man the twins have learned to call father. 

"I promise to keep you two safe. After all, Sitri was willing to give her life to have you two," he whispered, his voice cracking with emotion. The twins were silent, reeling from their rebirth and overwhelmed by Jeralt's raw emotion. That had been the first and only time they saw their father cry. 

* * *

It's the dream again. This thought is quickly swept away as swords clash with ferocious intensity. The screech of metal is nothing like what the twins have faced during their battles. Whereas they have heard the cry of swords desperate for survival, these swords bellow out for their own righteousness. The sound makes the twins sick to their stomach. As always the green haired woman leaps across the battlefield, her anguish pointed at the man who fights back with just as much zeal. His sword seems to guide the man's actions, powerful and overbearing. It is this sword that sends unease through the twins. Especially as it extends into a whip, the pieces of swords resembling a spine. It wraps around the woman's sword but it is yanked from his hands as she abandons her weapon and charges with a crude punch. Knocked onto his back, he is faced with a dagger.

"Tell me, Nemesis. Do you recall the Red Canyon?" she grits out. The man, Nemesis, does not answer with his words but with the dilatation of his eyes. "You'll die for that." Stab. "Die." Stab. "Die." Stab. "You took ... everything I loved." Stab. 

The scene is brutish and none of the soldiers dare to take a step forward to tell the woman the man she so hates has been dead since her first stab. As if to stop her meaningless attack on a dead man, the sun rises and shines onto the battlefield. It reminds the soldier to cheer for the new dawn and the end of their battle. She finally stops, eyes glossing over with a dark obsession as she delicately takes up the man's blade. Ignoring the blood, she rubs her cheek onto it as if she has finally reunited with a loved one.

"He's gone now, Mother..." and with a vacant smile on her lips, the dream fades to black.

* * *

Belial opens his eyes once more to see a familiar jade throne. As always, a young girl naps there without so much as a care in the world. Her complexion is almost sickly pale, and even more pronounced by her emerald mane. Though her clothing is festive, her sleeping face is peaceful and shows none of the liveliness expected with such an outfit. Seeing no signs of the girl waking up, Belial contemplates (for what might be the hundredth time) yanking her pointed elf ears until she does.

As if she could hear his thoughts, the girl suddenly shifts, lifting herself from her slouched position and letting out a yawn. Vivid eyes matching her hair blink open, chasing away her drowsiness before fixing themselves on Belial. "Oh my," she calmly utters, not a trace of sleep in her voice. "What could have brought you here?" 

Belial makes no move to answer her question, simply observing the girl. This dream had plagued him since his rebirth in this world, making sure to remind him of its existence whenever he would almost forget. And every time, this girl would be peacefully asleep, ignorant of his presence. Seeing her awake brought mixed feelings to the young man, both relief that there was finally change in this stifling throne, and unease that the familiar calm he had come to appreciate is now broken.

"I wonder how you got here ..." the girl continues to murmur. "It is most rude to interrupt a moment of repose. Very rude indeed." Her tone is that of a mother, chiding her children for forgetting their manners. Her eyebrows are fixed into a slant as she sends a strict gaze to Belial, only softening as she beckons him. "Now come to me. I wish to have a look at you."

With a moment of thought, Belial obediently steps towards her. As she takes in his appearance, the young girl hums, "Hmm ... I have not seen the likes of you before. Who are you anyway?"

"A demon," Belial answers, short and curt. His straight face makes it difficult to determine if his words are a lie or not. In truth, Belial believed his words to be partially a joke but also partially true. Afterall, what else could come back the way he and his sister had after dying such a gruesome death? He agreed with the nickname his fellow mercenaries had dubbed him for this very reason.

Of course, his thoughts did not transmit to the young girl. Unamused, the girl shakes her head and resumes her motherly attitude. "Do not deceive. You would do well to keep your wit in line."

“A mortal.”

Finally satisfied with his answer, the girl said, "I see. Then you must have a name of sorts. Go on,"

"Belial Eisner."

"Huh. I shall never grow accustomed to the sound of human names." To this, Belial holds back a snort and waits for the girl to continue. "You must possess a day of birth as well. Beneath which moon and on what day were you born into this world?"

"Horsebow Moon. 20th." 

The girl’s eyes light up at his answer, happily exclaiming, “Well, wonders never cease! It seems we share our day of birth. How strange!” Belial gives a half-hearted grunt in response, thinking back to his sister. Their birthday had always been an occasion only they as twins could share. Having another person suddenly claim to have the same day of birth almost felt intrusive.

“Hmm. It all feels so … familiar. I think it may be time for yet another nap …” She yawns out her last few words. “It is almost … time to … begin.” The girl promptly falls asleep, barely able to push out her final, ominous words. As the darkness of sleep overtakes his dreams, Belial can only try to push the discomfort and unrest to the back of his mind.

* * *

Byleth keeps her eyes closed, listening to the familiar sound of water dripping. A single drop at a time, steadily but continuously. It’s enough to drive a person mad yet brings an indescribable sense of calm to the young woman. A long moment passes before her blue eyes steadily open, finding herself seated on a familiar jade throne. A body of water pools below the throne, revealing nothing but the same unending darkness surrounding her dream. The throne and it’s stairs offered a dim source of light in the dark, revealing a sleeping boy floating in the water. His complexion is nearly translucent and only worsened by how similar his clasped hands upon his stomach resembled that of a corpse in a coffin. Viridian strands dance upon the water in contrast to the purple ceremonial robes sinking down like an anchor. 

As if she could not see the boy, Byleth flutters her eyes closed once more, comforted by the dream that has not once changed since its appearance. Her brother had described his dream of a similar throne, always right after his dreams of the war. However, a young girl sat upon this seat in his dreams and only darkness surrounded him rather than a watery dungeon. Her thoughts brought Byleth’s attention back to the rhythmic dripping that never once faltered. It soothed her to a relaxed state, neither asleep or awake.

And suddenly, it stopped. Reluctantly opening her eyes, Byleth’s gaze locks onto deep, green eyes. The boy does not sit up, despite his new state of consciousness, opting to flip onto his stomach as he stares at Byleth. “I wonder since when you have been here,” he softly mutters, obviously still waking up from his deep slumber. A pause ensues.

“Since when have you been here?” Byleth softly asks back, more curious of the boy’s sudden awakening over her own presence in this watery chamber.

The boy does not seem to mind her avoidance of his question, instead pondering how to answer hers. After a long silence, the boy answers, “I do not know … rather, I cannot remember.” His brows furrow and lips perse as he thinks. “But why?” 

Byleth does not offer an explanation, quietly allowing the boy to sort through his memories. Or lack thereof. Seemingly giving up, the boy lightly shakes his head, expression changing back into that of relaxation and resignation. 

“Well, nevermind that for now. Who are you?” Visibly brighter with his attention on Byleth, the boy rolls onto his stomach and directly stares at the young woman.

“A ghost.” Her soft voice and unchanging expression hiding the meaning behind her words. 

“Such deception is poor use of your wit. It will only bring trouble to you.” The boy does not say this with a lecturing tone, but with a tone of experience. Advice from one deciever to another. The boy’s words bring a slightest curl to Byleth’s lips, leaving a trace of a mocking smile. As someone who had died once, Byleth wondered if she really were a ghost at times. A foolish ghost living in a delusion. However, the wounds of battle sharply remind her of her mortality.

“A mortal.”

This time the boy seems to mull over her answer. “I see … then what is your name?”

“What is yours?” Perhaps it’s because she had dreamed of this boy for so long, but Byleth almost believed this boy already knew the answer to all these questions.

“Hm, I wonder.” The boy hums out his words, furrowing his eyes in thought. A moment of silence passes once more before the boy waves his hand to disperse his thoughts. “It seems even my name evades my memories,” the boy shrugs. “But I remember my day of birth. The 20th of the Horsebow Moon.”

Byleth thought to bring up that it is fairly strange to remember your birthday over your name, but decided to instead answer, “Mine too.”

“How curious!” he excitedly grins, eyes lighting up. “Of course, not as curious as I am about your name.” 

“Byleth Einser.” She does not resist his question this time, but answers as briefly as she can. 

Despite her curt answer, the boy is happy to nod and say, “I see! Mortal names are rather bland but they have a certain charm.” A yawn interrupts his excitement and the energy the boy had been exuding slowly dims. “Somehow, there’s … something familiar about … all this.” His eyes droop as the boy barely murmurs out his final words. “But for now … I’ll sleep while I can … Afterall, it’s about to … begin.” 

And with that, the boy’s eyes close and he falls back to sleep. Byleth does the same, wrestling a foreboding sense of unease in her mind as reality pulls her away from her dreams.

* * *

“Hey. Time to wake up.” Jeralt’s gruff voice shatters the peaceful slumber the twins had sunken into. Belial unhurried pulls himself out of his warm blanket, jamming his feet into the boots awaiting him at the side of his bed. Slipping on his coat, he opens the door for his father to come in.

Jeralt steps in to see his daughter barely sitting up and glancing at blankets as if contemplating returning to it’s linen embrace. Luckily, Belial interrupts her thoughts with a glass of cold water. Byleth reluctantly swings her legs off the bed, sipping at the water her brother gave her while he places her feet into her boots. 

Heaving a sigh, Jeralt wonders how he should feel about the immaculate spoiling Belial gives Byleth. No, more than that, Jeralt cannot help but to worry of their over reliance on each other. On one hand, he disapproves of his son enabling Byleth’s laziness. However, he didn't have the heart to stop the twins when he thought about how he had never been able to spoil them. Either too busy with his mercenary work or too awkward to approach his children in the friendly manner most fathers did, Jeralt ultimately felt a bit guilty for how withdrawn his children were. They rarely spoke to others, and never opened their hearts to anyone but each other. Not even he knew their thoughts most of the time.

That being said, Jeralt was not an unobservant father. Belial’s movements had been slightly absentminded and slower than usual while Byleth’s eyes were a bit dazed. “Were you two have that dream again?” 

Both nod, seeming to remember his presence as they hasten their movements. Byleth finally fully pushes herself away from her bed, obediently cooperating with her brother as he holds her cape for her to slip on. 

Belial hesitates for a moment before saying, “I was dreaming about a young girl …” Perhaps it’s the ominous words she had left him with, but Belial can’t help but to mention her again to see if his father has anything to expose her identity.

“You’ve described her to me before. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like that.” Though Jeralt’s answer was expected, disappointment still jabs at Belial. “In any case, just put that out of your mind for now. The battlefield is no place for idle thoughts. Risking your life is part of the job for mercenaries like us. Letting your mind wander is a sure way to get yourself killed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it has begun. The rabbit hole of writing Fire Emblem fanfic T_T
> 
> Hello, yello! So I figured I'll just use this section to kinda blurb out my thoughts and struggles while writing each chapter and thank readers and reviewers.
> 
> What do you guys think of their personalities? I wanted to keep to the unemotional and almost cold Byleth and Belial we start with but also give them some personality that conflicts with each other. I want to write a very lazy Byleth who hides her mischievous tendencies with indifference (mainly because it makes the perfect Claude flustering material) and a seemingly diligent Belial who's real motivation is secretly his own laziness. This, of course, is pretty unclear right now but I'll slowly reveal these parts of them as we continue.
> 
> I've decided I don't like the idea of both of them having the same powers, and so have decided to create another deity and will be creating another weapon later on in the story.
> 
> Also, I don't know if this was clear but when the twins mention they're original lives took place in the Underworld, it's referring to the mafia and black market. I hope that wasn't too confusing!
> 
> Big thanks to Mimi918 and RebeccaAnnVaughn for commenting, I hope you guys continue reading!


	2. Red, Blue and Braids

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first battle gives the twins a perfect chance to show off their battle skills and nicknaming skills.

The twins nod silently, having learned this lesson well in their last life. “Okay, time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom. I told you before. It’s far from here, so we’ll need to leave at dawn.” 

“Of course,” Belial nods, bones aching at the idea of camping any longer than necessary. He would never complain outright, but he despised camping. It wasn’t the food or bugs or even the vulnerability. Rather, it was the cold and sore joints that came with camping that he hated the most.

“Oh, right …” Byleth said at the same time. Never the one to care, Byleth didn’t mind either way. She simply followed the arrangements made for her without batting an eye, but also never cared to know the details such as when they had to set off.

“Hm? Good grief. Everyone’s already waiting for us outside.” Jeralt does not comment on the twin’s clashing answers, used to their antics. Instead, he tiredly glances at the impatient mercenaries awaiting them.

As they all step out of the room, a young mercenary runs up to them with some panic in his voice. “Jeralt! Sir! Sorry to barge in, but your presence is needed!”

“What happened?” Jeralt groans, following the mercenary outside. The twins exchange a glance with one another, a reminder to stay vigilant, before following their father. 

Outside, three youths await their presence. The twins waste no time to make starting observations. The first is a boy with tan skin. His messy brown locks are adorned with a braid swinging whimsically as he moves. His expression is relaxed with a friendly smile but his green eyes sharply dart around as he takes in his surroundings. Next to him is a blonde boy, his posture and restrained grin giving him a noble appearance. His blue eyes show unwavering resolve, never straying from Jeralt and the twins approaching. The girl, on the other hand, seems to be testing them with visible distrust in her lilac eyes. Her silver locks are immaculately brushed with perfect symmetry and her stern expression shows a pride only nobility could possess.

“Please forgive our intrusion. We wouldn’t bother you were the situation not dire.” The blonde boy is the first to speak, his formal words matching his noble appearance. 

However, they do not seem to affect Jeralt’s usual direct and crude reaction. “What do a bunch of kids like you want at this hour?”

Seemingly undeterred, the blonde boy explains, “We’re being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support.”

“Bandits? Here?” Jeralts disbelief is obvious.

This time, the girl steps in and cooly says, “It's true. They attacked us while we were at rest in our camp.”

“We’ve been separated from our companions and we’re outnumbered. They’re after our lives…not to mention our gold.” The brown haired boy adds, his expressive tone distinct compared to the other two.

“I’m impressed you’re staying so calm considering the situation. I… Wait. That uniform…” The seasoned mercenary trails off as he takes in the youths’ clothing. Byleth and Belial keenly take in their father’s reaction, already uneasy from their dreams.

Unfortunately, Jeralt is interrupted when another mercenary runs up and reports, “Bandits spotted just outside the village. Damn… There are a lot of them.”

“I guess they followed you all the way here.” A silent sigh is obvious in his voice. Turning to the twins, he motions then towards the forest. “We can’t abandon this village now. Come on, let’s move. Hope you’re ready.” With their usual silent nod, the twins follow along, ignoring the blatant gazes of the three youths burning holes into their backs.

Claude silently examines the twins with curious eyes. From start to end of their conversation, they didn’t say a word but their presence was impossible to ignore. The male twin trumps his sister by a head, and his limbs, while not as muscular as his father by any means, shows taut definition. Combined with his stoic face and silent demeanor, a sense of intimidation falls onto those facing him. 

However, his sister was even more curious. Shorter than even himself, she was anything but intimidating. Her limbs are so slender and fair, he wonders if she’s ever picked up a weapon. When Jeralt was speaking, she remained by her twin’s side and even leaned on him slightly, showing her dependence on him. Yet, her eyes and temperament set her far apart from anyone he’s ever met. Though her blue eyes seem rather harmless, the way she slowly glides her gaze across others sends an unnerving sense of oppression. Claude’s back unknowingly straightens at the memory of her fleeting glance. It was only a moment but it felt as though she had pried open his thoughts and indifferently saw it all.

Claude shakes away the shiver threatening to break out across his body, determined not to think about if this chill is due to fear or excitement. The faint curses of the bandits clearly ring out as two scouts appear in the darkness. He readies his bow, pulling the arrow far back and ignoring the strain in his arms as he keeps his posture firm. The other two similarly ready their weapons.

In the seconds it took them to prepare themselves, a gust of wind distracts them. The twins had jumped into action. The brother viciously slashes at a scout, cleanly taking the bandit down before even a scream can leave his mouth. With a single flick of his arm, the blood that coated his blade now draws a crimson line in the dirt. The other bandit has only opened his mouth before a coil of black wraps around his neck and closes off his windpipe. Falling to the floor, a small boot ruthlessly stomps on his chest, knocking out any wind in his body.

Towering above the man, Byleth firmly grips the handle of her whip and a ghost of a smile graces her lips. “How many?” Her words are so soft, the scout barely registers the question. That is, until the constraint around his neck tightened. Fear overtakes any sense of loyalty he might have had and he throws his hands up in surrender. The coil on his neck loosened just enough for him to answer.

“Nine, no eight including our boss!” he chokes, changing his answer when the body of his partner scout enters his vision. Just as he finishes his answer, Belial’s sword pierces his chest, effectively silencing any pleading the scout had planned on sobbing.

The three house leaders cannot help but to be stunned by the twins’ quick work. It isn’t until Byleth casts her eyes on them that they realized two deaths had just occurred before them. She is silent for a minute before pinching the corner of her brother’s sleeve and tugging.

“Bebe,” she calls, earning his full attention. Claude is shocked silly by Byleth’s unfitting nickname for the intimidating man, barely able to hold back his laughter. Dimitri, on the other hand, is overcome by a sense of nostalgia at such an endearing nickname. Still, the circumstance gave both little time to be distracted by their thoughts.

“I’ll support with Braids. Take care of Blue and Red in front.” Her orders are said in such a gentle voice, it’s almost easy to forget she’s relaying battle orders. 

Belial grunts in agreement, looking over to Dimitri and Edelgard. With a commanding twitch of his head indicating his order for them to come, they scramble over to the young man. Claude needs no prompting to join Byleth, following closely as she falls behind her brother.

Seeing her expressionless face as they carefully make their way towards the rowdy laughter of the other bandits, Claude can’t help but to test the waters with the mysterious female mercenary. “It’s because of you guys that I’m not dead right now. Thanks for that! I didn’t expect to run into mercenaries like you in some remote village. The gods of fortune must be smiling on me!” Flashing his best smile and using a fawning tone, he didn’t know what he expected but Claude did not think Byleth would suddenly lean her face in. Flustered, he barely fights back his blush.

Without a word, Byleth throws a hidden dagger over his shoulder, a muffled grunt and thud following after. Claude turns to see a bandit now lying in the dirt, a pool of blood enveloping the bandit and bow. A nervous chuckle escapes his throat, the obvious discomfort in his voice even grating to himself.

In an attempt to relieve the tension in himself, and out of sheer curiosity, Claude asks a question he had kept in his mind. “Why did you call me Braids and the others by their color? Is this favoritism I’m experiencing?” By the end of his first question, Claude already tamed his emotions and regained his love for probing. 

Byleth glances at Claude for a moment, returning her attention to the frontline. Just as Claude thinks she won’t answer, her voice rings out. “Ye-llow.” She claps twice as she emphasizes the syllabuses. “Braids.” A single clap. Claude needs more than a minute before he realizes the nonsense that came from her lips was an answer to his question.

“You mean Yellow is longer to say than Braids?” The interpretation he came up with seemed so ridiculous that Claude asks to be sure. A nod of confirmation sends waves of laughter through him, his stomach aching as he holds it all in. His lips curl up in a foolish smile, and he’s barely able to recover his charming appearance by covering his mouth.

While Claude does his best not to alert the enemy with his laughter, the frontline continues to move at a steady pace, using the trees to keep the strategic advantage.

“You have a strange aura about you… You say you’re a mercenary, so show me what you can do.” Belial barely glances at Edelgard as she says this, training his attention on the trio of bandits in his sights. Her arrogance and extreme caution reminds Belial of the stray cats he would come across in town. Strutting around with unfound pride yet fearful of others. He twists his fingers into a silent signal for his sister, letting her know of his plan to rush the unsuspecting bandits. 

He waits for no acknowledgement, dashing forward with the word, “Come,” barely an echo in the ears of Dimitri and Edelgard. His sword slashes one down cleanly, shocking the other two into a frozen trance. This allows Dimitri and Edelgard an easy shot. Edelgard swings her axe at one bandit, wedging it halfway through the bandit’s arm. The sound of snapping bones chills the two royal heirs but the gravity of the situation keeps them moving. Dimitri jabs his lance at the other, impaling his opponent’s thigh with such force he falls to the ground. The feeling of flesh parting in the face of his spear stirs a sense of nausea in his Dimitri’s stomach. The bandit with an axe in his arm screams in agony, adrenaline taking over his actions. With power and speed he did not have before, he aims his own axe at Dimitri whose eyes are focused on his own enemy. Belial is quick to block for the young prince, pushing through the bandit’s strength with his own and killing him with one strike.

A knife flies by Belial’s face, missing by a mere inch while burying itself into the other bandit. Byleth leisurely tosses another throwing knife up and down in her hand, watching the other two mouths with keen eyes. Though their strength and ability surpasses most, the lack of experience and reluctance to kill shows in their battles. Her eyes flicker to Claude, taking in his tight grip on his bow. His knuckles are white and a light tremor rocks his aim but his expression does it’s best to remain unbothered.

“Thank you. We are in your debt. It wouldn’t do for us to fall in a place like this.” Dimitri’s passionate thanks earns Belial’s grunt, his eyes faintly softening. Belial had seen the young princes’ eyes dilate with revulsion as he struck the bandit. Despite clearly fighting with his own consciousness, the young prince does his best to remain collected and earnestly looks to Belial. “Please, lend us your strength. Let’s work together to drive out these thieves!” 

Dimitri finds himself conflicted with more than just his first kill on the battlefield. Belial is no doubt a capable mercenary, able to protect Edeleguard and himself while rapidly taking out enemies. Dimitri cannot deny that there’s some comfort in being under Belial’s protection. However, he also cannot deny the chill in his body when he sees such clean and precise kills. With no emotion on his face, Belial could pass off as a killing machine.

The time for thanks is cut short when a gruff voice bellows out, “Damn. Why are there mercenaries in the village? Guess we'll have to deal with them too.” A bandit clearly barking orders to the other two beside him appears from the shadows. Belial rushes the two back into the safety of the trees with him, noticing the obvious strength difference.

Byleth’s eyes narrow at the appearance of the bandit leader, shifting to have Claude behind her. Kostas is a known bandit in the mercenary world. His infamy was not for his strength but ridiculous tenacity and getting hired by shady noblemen. Seeing him here sent warning bells in Byleth’s head, but the situation did not allow her to mual over any scenarios.

“Stay. Gonna separate them.” With barely an explanation, Byleth dashes forward, her body low to the ground. In her hand, her whip is poised to strike. Seeing his sister rush forward, Belial is quick to understand her intentions and tenses his legs.

The bandits notice Byleth as she dashes towards them, her whip immediately springing into action, As it wraps around Kostas’ arm, Byleth changes directions, running back towards where she had left Claude. 

“What the fuck,” Kostas curses, before suddenly getting yanked by Byleth’s surprising strength. Unable to keep on his feet, he falls but Byleth does not stop. His body is dragged on the dirt and she runs, his angered howls filling the night. The other two are only stunned for a minute before they dash towards their boss. It’s in this moment that Belial rushes out from his hiding spot, effectively blocking them from following his sister. The other two follow, readying for another round.

Reaching her destination, Byleth releases Kostas from her whip’s hold, keeping a distance to strike safely. Humiliated and seething, Kostas is quick to get back up and glare at the young woman. “Fucking bitch!” he curses, Lifting his axe meanicingly. “I’ll make you pay!” He rushes at her, eager to separate her head from her body. Yet before he could take two steps, an arrow digs deep into his shoulder. 

Claude releases a tense breath, watching as Byleth perfectly follows up his attack by a series of lashes. Looking down at his hands, Claude cannot stop his nails from slowly sinking into his palms. He was no stranger to death, just like the other two royal heirs, but the emptiness of truely aiming at an enemy with the intent to kill is overwhelming. No matter how many had gone after his life, Claude never had the means to retaliate. Now, finally finding a human as his target instead of a wooden circle, Claude found that releasing his arrow is much heavier than it had ever been.

By the fourth lash, Kostas falls to the ground ungracefully. Belial, Dimitri and Edelgard approach, their own enemies defeated. Belial is quick to return to Byleth’s side, a curious Dimitri in tow. Claude had already come out of hiding and is seeking praise from the quiet woman. 

In this relaxed, post-battle atmosphere, even the twins are caught off-guard when Kostas suddenly pounces back to his feet. Spotting the easiest target, he charges at Edelgard. “You’ll die!” Byleth is quick to throw a throwing knife at the raging man, wedging it into his arm, but adrenaline numbs any pain he should have felt. Belial reacts without thinking, his body rushing to shield the stunned girl. 

Time seems to slow down in that moment, and Belial closes his eyes and braces himself for a painful end. And yet it does not come. Instead, a familiar chiding voice screeches in his ears. “Honestly! What are you accomplishing with that little stunt?! It’s like you’re trying to get me killed, you fool!”

His eyes quickly shoot open, the same stone throne he had seen hours ago suddenly before him once more. Of course, the lively green haired girl is sitting on this throne and frowning with displeasure.

“Well, it’s fine. After all, if you don’t know the value of your own life, you’re not going to protect it very well, are you?” She does not wait for an answer, continuing her monologue without pause. “Course not.” Standing up with determination, the girl states, “Well then, I guess it’s up to me to guide you from now on, right? You can call me Sothis…but I’m also known as ‘The Beginning’.”

And just like that, the gusto in her voice deflates and Sothis becomes contemplative. “Hmm… Sothis… Yes, that is it. My name is Sothis. And I am also called…The Beginning. But who once called me that?”

Belial has no answer so does not. Instead, he tests his tongue at saying her name, finding it strange in his mouth. “Sothis?”

The girl in question seems to take no heed to her name being called and continues to talk to herself. “I was not able to recall my name…until just now. And just like that, it came to me. How odd.” Resignation slumps her shoulders as she looks up at Belial’s face. “That look upon your face… Did you think me a child? A mere child who forgot her own name?! Phooey! That ‘child’ just saved your life! And what does that make you?” 

Her sudden temper tantrum begins a soft throb in Belial’s head, the beginning of a headache. Deciding to appease the pouting girl before her volume increased, he answers, “I'm less than a child?”

Luckily, it is enough for Sothis to calm down and she cheerfully responds, “Correct! You understand.”

A moment of silence passes before Sothis lets out a weary sigh. “You threw yourself before an axe to save just one young girl. Yet all is well, as I have stalled the flow of time for now. You would have died had I not intervened.” Her words are condemning but her tone shows no true anger. 

Seeing her distressed expression, Belial can only say “Thank you” in hopes of being lectured any further.

Apparently satisfied, she nods and replies, “There now. Is gratitude so much to ask? I did deem you worth saving, after all.” Her words seem to remind her of her own actions, murmuring, “Though it is only momentary, time has stopped. However did I manage that?”

Perhaps due to his own experience of rebirth, but her powers did little to surprise Belial. Instead, he found himself asking, “What now?” nonchalantly.

“When time begins again, the axe will tear into your flesh, and you will surely meet your end.” Her answer is blunt and crass but holds no malice. “How rude of you to drag me into this! Now what to do…” 

Sensing silence would only serve to anger the girl, Belial spit out the most obvious answer in his mind. “Turn back the hands of time.”

Such a suggestion would anger most, but Sothis lights up with her own revelation. “Of course! I must turn back the hands of time!” With a triumphant nod, she launches into a quick explanation to Belial. “Yes, I do believe it can be done. You really are quite troublesome. I cannot wind back time too far, but all is well. You are aware of what’s to come, which means you can protect yourself this time. Now, go… Yes, you who bears the flames within. Drift through the flow of time to find the answers that you seek…”

And just like that, the green throne again fades from Belial’s vision. He watches as the axe ready to carve into his head returns to its owner’s hands, who leaps back onto his back. With a burst of light, he is again standing by his sister and the blonde boy. Wasting no time, he leaps in front of the silver haired girl, blocking the very axe that had threatened his life moments ago. At the same time, a knife slices through the air, finding a home in Kostas’s eye. 

Before so much as a scream can escape Kostas, a whip winds around his throat. The more he struggled, the tighter the whip’s grip became. Claude and Dimitri, who had rushed to their classmate’s side when they saw the bandit back on his feet, froze in shock when they saw Byleth’s expression.

It may have been how her blank stare always seemed to hold some sleepiness, or how her fighting technique was so fluid and elegant, but neither saw her as a blood-stained mercenary till then. In just a minute, Kostas could not feel his throat at all, his depraved lungs unable to refill themselves and saliva unable to be swallowed. He collapsed with a hideous mark on his neck, drool pouring from his mouth and chest heaving for any bit of air.

“Hey… Did you just…” The shock in Jeralt’s voice is not hidden as he gazes at his son with confusion.

Instead of answering him, Belial firmly calls out, “Byleth.” The woman in question clicks her tongue, obviously upset. With reluctance, she pulls her whip back and childishly delivers the unconscious Kostas a kick to his face.

Neither had planned on killing Kostas since the beginning. A bandit chasing down just three youths instead of raiding their campsite? And instead of capturing them for a ransom, they had sought to kill the three youths. No, the twins knew there was more to be known and only Kostas likely knew the answer.

A loud voice suddenly booms and cracks the tension. “The Knights of Seiros are here! We'll cut you down for terrorizing our students!” With the sudden distraction, none reacted quick enough as a few bandits that had hid throughout the entire battle sprung out, dragging their boss away. “Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them.” A middle aged man, about the age of Jeralt, appears on a stead, bulky armor and boisterous smile making for a comedic sight. “The students seem to be unharmed. And... who's this?” The man’s eyes grow wide with recognition and surprise as he notices Jeralt.

“Ugh... Why him?” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My nicknaming skills are probably no better than Byleth's.
> 
> Hello, yello! Okay so I honestly had a lot of fun writing this chapter, specifically the nicknaming. I think it's so fun to think about this stoic Belial being called Bebe by a expressionless girl! 
> 
> I know it's basically almost canon that the female version of Byleth is more brash than her male counterpart and tends to be the front liner, but it clashes a lot with where I want my story going. I really like the idea of Byleth and Claude being paired together, and Belial and Dimitri being together. That being said, if Byleth is a front liner, she probably should not be teaching the Golden Deers who mostly have talents in archery. Vice Versa for Belial and the Blue Lions. I thought a lot about this actually, and I compromised by giving Byleth a whip and Belial a clean fighting style. 
> 
> I thought about Byleth running in front of the axe to save Edelgard, but it doesn't line up with the personality and values I've decided to give Byleth. I also didn't want to introduce both deity awakenings at once, so I had her kinda stay more on the sidelines so Belial could do some character development with Sothis. Byleth will be awakening her own drama in later chapters.
> 
> Alright with that done, I want to say thank you to all my readers and to all those who have this work kudos! Also, special thanks to Meribell64, RebeccaAnnVaughn and ThePieFairy! You guys really make my day with your comments!


	3. Post Battle Acquaintances

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that their first battle has concluded, the twins and their new acquaintances take a minute to talk with each other.

“Captain Jeralt?! It is you! Goodness, it’s been ages. Don’t you recognize me? It’s Alois! Your old right-hand man! Well, that’s how I always thought of myself anyway. It must have been 20 years ago that you went missing without a trace! I always knew you were still alive!” With a blinding smile and such obvious happiness, the twins could almost see a bushy dog tail excitedly wagging back and forth.

“You haven’t changed a bit, Alois. Just as loud as ever. And drop that “captain” nonsense. I’m not your captain anymore. These days I’m just a wandering mercenary. One who has work to do. Good-bye, old friend.” Despite his exhausted tone and sharp words, the twins could see their father relax his shoulders and comfortably loosen his hold on his spear. No doubt, these two were close at one point.

“Right... Good-bye, Captain.” The imaginary dog tail droops with obvious disappointment. However, never underestimate a dog’s perseverance. “Wait! That isn't how this ends! I insist that you return to the monastery with me!”

“Garreg Mach Monastery... I suppose this was inevitable.” Such weary resignation on their father’s face made the twins curious and weary of this monastery. As a man who hated trouble but is overly responsible, Jeralt rarely showed such reluctance.

“And how about you, kids? Are you the captain's children?” Seeing that the knightly dog has directed his attention to them, the twins spared each other a fleeting glance.

“We’re bandits.” With expressionless faces that rivaled a rock, the twins shamelessly decided to tease Alois.

With a jolly laugh, Alois beams, “Great sense of humor, this one. Clearly cut from the same cloth as the captain.” The twins gazed at Alois curiously, wondering if their father even knew how to joke. “I'd love for you two to see the monastery too. You will join me, won't you?”

Neither answer, unwilling to give in to this knight’s obvious hopes. They instead send a pointed gaze to Jeralt, silently telling him to make the decision. He sighs deeply and nods.

“What's troubling you, Captain? You aren't about to run off again, are you?” Alois’s legs tense to charge after Jeralt in the case he were to flee.

Sensing the outcome, Jeralt shakes his head and replies, “Even I wouldn't dare run from the Knights of Seiros.” Satisfied with Jeralt’s answer, Alois leads their father towards the inn, no doubt to sort out the logistics of this decision. 

“The Knights of Seiros... They do seem rather skilled.” Sothesis’s voice startles Belial from his thoughts. Luckily, his face has seemingly developed a case of facial paralysis and none of the youths notice. Seeing that the jade throne is nowhere to be seen, he almost doubts his own hearing. While he is doubting his ears, Byleth sends him a beckoning look, pausing in her steps for him to catch up.

“Ah. It seems your presence is required. Get going.” Seeing that he had no way of confirming her presence at the current moment, Belial shrugs and follows his sister.

* * *

A yawn escapes Byleth as she watches her brother ready the horses for their trip in a few hours. She does nothing to help, merely lingering near and daydreaming about the pastries she had wanted to buy in the Kingdom. That is, until a silver haired girl strides up to them.

“I appreciate your help back there. Your skills are beyond question. You two are clearly experienced mercenaries.” Belial nods to accept her compliments, already noticing her eyes lingering longer on his sister. Byleth is unbothered and hums out in response. Their lack of speaking does not deter the girl and she continues. “And your father, that would be Jeralt, the Blade Breaker? Former captain of the Knights of Seiros. Oft praised as the strongest knight to ever live. Have I missed anything?

“Didn't know he was a captain,” Byleth mumbles, expression aloof. However, Belial notes that she’s rather annoyed with their father’s secrecy, the subtle twitch of her finger enough for him to understand her feelings.

“How curious. I’d wager the explanation for that is fascinating indeed.” The twins nod vaguely, doing their best to suppress their doubts, Their father had always kept secrets, this they’ve known since babyhood. They’ve never cared to expose him, though some of his secrets were easy enough to guess. But the obvious tension he displayed before the idea of returning to this monastery made them uneasy.

They have no time to dwell on their thoughts as a charming voice chimes in, “Hey! You are coming with us to the monastery, right? Of course you are. I’d love to bend your ear as we travel.” Claude slyly makes his way beside Byleth, offering an award winning smile. “Oh, I should mention that the three of us are students of the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach Monastery. We were doing some training exercises when those bandits attacked.” With a dramatic sigh, Claude pouts out his lip and shows his best puppy eyes to Byleth. “I definitely got the worst of it.” If Alois is a dog, Claude is a cat. Using his charm to seduce others into giving him the world, he secretly calculates his actions to achieve his goals. As it would have it, Byleth is a cat person.

With a humoring hum, she leans her face close to Claude’s, not unlike she had done during the battle. Claude manages to keep calm and hold eye contact, biting his tongue to keep from squeaking. Seeing the tips of his ears redden, Byleth secretly chuckles, her face remaining passive. “Perhaps they wanted to capture this distracting braid.” With that, she flicks Claude’s braid with her finger, ignoring his dazed expression and resuming her previous posture.

Seeing this intimate action, Dimitri and Edelgard find themselves rather flush. With an awkward cough, Edelgard disperses the air with a jab at Claude. “That would be because you ran off.”

Grateful for an escape from his own failed games, Claude is quick to admit, “Too true! I was the first to make a strategic retreat. Everything would have worked out if these two hadn’t followed me and ruined everything. Because of them, every single one of those bandits chased after us. Utterly ridiculous.” 

Tone light and eyes subtly taking in the reactions of all around him, Claude knows better than admitting his plan was not as thought out as he eluded it to be. He only knew that their abilities were not capable of handling the horde of bandits they originally saw. However, retreating and splitting up also obviously would have been flawed. Basically, he figured that if he just ran fast enough, he could at least escape from a handful of bandits and lessen the burden on the other house leaders.

Perhaps it was her overwhelming temperament that did not match her passive face, her obvious skill on the battlefield or even her teasing words that seem to come from nowhere, but Claude found himself paying extra heed to Byleth’s reaction. The change in her expression is so subtle, Claude wonders if his eyes are making up observations for his own ego, but he swears one of her brows incrementally lifted in a questioning gesture and the faintest flicker of amusement dances across her eyes.

So focused on engraving the slight hints of emotion on Byleth’s face, Claude barely registers Dimitri’s reply. “Ah, so that’s what you were thinking, Claude. And here I thought you were acting as a decoy for the sake of us all.” Without a single trace of doubt in Dimitri’s voice, Belial could not help but to cast a pitying gaze to the blonde boy. Noticing Belial’s stare but not understanding the flash to emotion in his gaze, Dimitri politely smiles back.

“His intentions were as clear as day. You will prove a lacking ruler if you cannot see the truth behind a person's words.” Edelgard’s voice rings out with light-heartedness, but the tones of her words are condemning and almost sneer at Dimitri.

With the same light tone, he counters “Hm. You will prove a lacking ruler if you look for deceit behind every word and fail to trust those whom you rely on.” 

Seemingly exasperated by the bubbling argument, Claude interrupts with his own upbeat voice. “Oh, joy. A royal debate between Their Highnesses.” Claude helplessly shakes his head and tosses his hands up in the air. “I wonder how being completely predictable affects one’s ability to wield power. Personally, as the embodiment of distrust, I’d say your little exchange smacks of naiveté.” Rather than defusing the argument, Claude fuels the argument, knowing which sore spot to poke at.

Pride unwilling to back down, Edelgard holds back the extent of her anger and snarks back “Me? Naïve? Tell me, are you actually incapable of keeping quiet, or is your lack of self-awareness a condition of some sort?”

The siblings watched with interest with the students’ squabble, regretting they did not have snacks to munch on while enjoying their entertainment. Nostalgia invaded both of their hearts, remembering friends from their past life. The overwhelming overlap is enough to poke holes in Belial’s blank face, a ghost of a frown tugging at his lips. 

Dimitri, sensing the mood in the twins shifting, is quick to break up the dispute. “In any case, forgive our digression. I must speak with you two, if you can spare a moment.” His cordial words settle Claude and Edelgard while capturing the attention of Byleth and Belial. “The way you held your ground against the bandits’ leader was captivating! You two never lost control of the situation and showed amazing teamwork without any words. It showed me I still have much to learn.”

Sensing an opportunity to push her own agenda, Edelgard joins. “Your skills are precisely why I must ask you two to consider lending your services to the Empire. I might as well tell you now. I am no mere student. I am also the Adrestian Empire’s–”

“Halt, Edelgard. Please allow me to finish my own proposition.” Light annoyance is evident in Dimitri’s voice as he interrupts Edelgard. “The Holy Kingdom of Faerghus is in dire need of exceptional individuals such as yourself. Please, do consider returning to the Kingdom with me.”

Sensing the tides turning, Claude intervenes. “Whoa, there! You two sure are hasty. Trying to recruit someone you just met.” With exaggerated condemnation in his voice, Claude flashes a fawning smile to the twins. “I was personally planning to develop a deep and lasting friendship on our journey back to the monastery before begging for favors. But it seems there’s no time for niceties in this world.” Giving a regrettable sigh, Claude wastes no time and asks, “So, capable strangers, let’s get right to it. Where does your allegiance lie?”

Seeing the students are sincerely seeking answers, the twins exchange a weary look with one another. Seeing his sister’s stubborn reluctance in her eyes, Belial could only resign himself to be the one to answer. “We’re mercenaries. Our allegiance lies in ourselves.”

Such a neutral answer is bound to receive disappointment from all curious parties, but none try to persuade the twins any further. It’s this time that Alois appears, his bright smile bursting with energy.

“All right, that's enough with the small talk. It's time to head back to the monastery.” 

Claude winks and says “Looks like we'll have to pick this up another time,” before following Alois with the other two. Byleth and Belial remain still for a few moments, digesting their new acquaintanceships.

“My, my. They are in such a hurry. You know … Each of the three is most unique.” Sothis’ voice floats into Belial’s consciousness, again startling him from his thoughts. Though he wonders why he is able to hear her words in reality, he decides to deal with such a logistical question at a later date, instead focusing on the prompt Sothis had put forth.

Edelgard could be considered refined, her body language oozing confidence and words arrogant. In other words, she very much embodies that of a proud noble, but her evaluating stare sets her apart from the ignorant employers they had encountered.

Dimitri is a rather sincere boy, his perspective pure and righteous. Though his words are almost overly polite, the earnesty in his gaze keeps others from feeling alienated. However, a darkness the twins were all too familiar with swims in the murky waters of his grin.

Claude demonstrates his character with his striking smile, charming and blinding. He is able to disguise his true intentions with a web of coaxing compliments and veiled jeers. Nonetheless, he cannot completely hide the shallow depths of his smile that do not reach his eyes.

As Belial finishes his evaluations, Sothis agrees, saying “Yes, I thought the same. I am so sleepy once again... I may be sleeping … but I …”

Belial returns his attention to Byleth who seems lost in her own thoughts. The nostalgia that he had felt earlier can be seen in her eyes, unpleasant to Belial’s eyes. He reaches out and places a comforting hand on her head, one that does not provoke any movement from his sister but draws her out of her remembrance. 

“I wanted sweets from Faerghus,” she quietly laments.

“Me too.”

“I hate stuffy monasteries.”

“Me too.”

“I like those kids.”

“ … me too.” 

The twins spare the backs of the heirs of the major powers another look before setting off. Neither voice their dreams or memories. Neither want to speak of the old faces that overlap their new acquaintances.

* * *

The walk to Garreg Mach Monastery is peaceful, the warm sunlight flitting through gaps in the lush trees. Keeping pace behind their father and Alois, the twins walk beside the three students. Byleth does not try to stifle her yawns, sleepily leaning some of her weight onto her brother’s arm. Sensing the need for conversation, Dimitri is quick to extend his politeness in the form of an offer.

“This will be your first time at the monastery. I’d be happy to show you two around.”

Seeing the earnesty in his invitation, Belial nods in agreement and earns a blindingly pure smile in return. 

“It really is Fódlan in a nutshell. The good and the bad.” The slight mumble in the later half of his words pulls Byleth out of her dozing spell, eyes wandering to the smiling boy. The hidden tremor in his voice does not go unnoticed by the sharp mercenary.

“Like it or not, we’ll be there soon enough.” Edelgard does even less to hide her reluctance in returning. Byleth mentally notes down their reactions and chucks the thoughts to the side. Stone walls come into view and a sense of foreboding amusement sparks in her eyes.

As they enter the first gate, their father slowly looks up with burning eyes. “Rhea's here.” His words are bitter and suppress rage they have never heard from their rational father before.

Following his stare, the twins lock eyes with a beautiful woman with sea foam hair. Lilies adorn her head and match enchantingly with the white gown she adorns. However, her ethereal appearance is ruined by her piercing gaze. Burning as strong as their father’s, her gaze does not have the same hatred and complexity, but unmasked obsession and longing. 

Belial suppresses his desire to recoil at the unsightly show of emotion, lips twitching into a frown. Unwanted memories of his past life fill his mind and Belial cannot help but to curl his hands into a fist. Dimitri senses Belial’s new mood and offers some reassurance with sincere words, successfully calming Belial down. Dimitri flushes at the phantom smile on Belial’s lips, so slight that most would not notice. His chaotic emotions have yet to settle down since the battle with the bandits, all because of this man. While Belial and Byleth saved Dimitri and the other two, he also killed those bandits with no hesitation. The bloody battle sparks memories in Dimitri, but so does the nickname “Bebe”. These conflicted emotions ignore Dimitri’s rationale and keep his focus on the silent man.

Byleth, on the other hand, does not have much of a mood fluctuation upon seeing this woman’s desire-filled eyes. Rather, shallow amusement seems to grace her eyes. It seems even in another world, there are people like him. Claude, who had been placing all this attention on Byleth in hopes of being able to read any of her thoughts, notices the dust of mirth settling in her gaze and feels his breath clog in his throat. Though her eyes have only barely softened, her entire impression changed into that of a fox, dangerous and ready to cause trouble for others. Combined with her naturally oppressing temperament, someone as socially observant as Claude naturally feels some fear and worry. But overwhelming these emotions, is intense curiosity Claude cannot ignore.

During these subtle interactions, Rhea quietly watches the two twins, feelings running rampant. As if the one she longed for is there to listen to her, Rhea whispers “I wonder... Did the flow of time bring you here?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Claude, you melt my heart.
> 
> Hello everyone! I have prepared another chapter for your consumption! (And my self satisfication)
> 
> What kind of memories do you think the twins keep thinking of? My hint is, though they are thinking of the same memories, they are both accepting it very differently and it will also come back up in later chapters! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter with just the back and fourth between the three heirs and the twins, though honestly I live for writing the flirtatious exchanges between Byleth and Claude. I'm hoping to capitalize of Dimitri's DEEP background so he and Belial are going to experience some more slow burn. 
> 
> Unfortunately, this chapter is more of a transitional chapter so I've added light hints towards where everything will be heading but it isn't as exciting as other chapters. However, feel free to tell me what direction you think things will move towards!
> 
> As usual, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed! Special thanks to ThePieFairy for reviewing!


	4. Once Mercenaries, Now Professors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are now professors and have to push their social abilities to their limits to meet the Black Eagles and the Blue Lions. Byleth escapes halfway through.

The twins walk in unison behind their father as they enter the audience chamber. The others have parted ways with them to report in with their class and unpack. The crisp echoes of their footsteps hammer in the reality of their new situation and drags out a bitter sigh from Jeralt.

“It's been years since I've last set eyes on this place. To be forced to see her now…”

The twins could already guess who “her” was referring to. Still, curiosity pushed Byleth to prod for more. “You've been here before?”

“I've never spoken of this to you before, but … many years ago, I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop … Lady Rhea.” While their father’s face and words did not suit and knight, the twins agreed that their father’s upright morals indeed resembled those a knight would possess. “As you know, the majority of folks in Fódlan are devout followers of the teachings of Seiros. The leader of that ridiculously large organization is the archbishop, Lady Rhea.”

Nodding, the twins reflect on the new times their father talked about the church. While there are other religions in Fodlan, none are as large as the Church of Serios. Their insane amount of followers allow for the Church to hold power equal to the other three major powers, the Empire, the Kingdom and the Alliance. The separation of church and state and luckily already been enacted and the church acted as neutral ground for followers. 

As the twins drew parallels with the Church of Serios and other religions in their original world, Rhea and an unfamiliar man with emerald hair make their appearance. Rhea casts a fond gaze to the two, a welcoming grin spreading across her face. The man, on the other hand, makes a stern face and makes no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction. Nonetheless, he is the first to talk and greet the family of three.

“Thank you for your patience, Jeralt.” The two grumpy men acknowledge each other for a moment. “My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop.” A curt introduction but the twins appreciate the honesty in the man.

Their father knows better than to hope for his troublesome twins to take up on the silent cue to introduce themselves and takes the initiative to speak. “Right. Hello.”

Rhea smiles and steadily joins the stiff reunion without hesitation. “It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder … was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?”

Though her tone and words are much more welcoming than that of Seteth’s, Jeralt tenses at Rhea’s instead. “Forgive my silence all these years. Much has happened since we last spoke.” His ambiguous words do little to continue the conversation but Rhea is not deterred.

“So I see. The miracle of fatherhood has blessed you. Those are your children, are they not?”

“Yes, born many years after I left this place. I wish I could introduce you to the mother of my child, but I’m afraid we lost her to illness.” Jeralt answers unhurriedly, seemingly casual and truthful. But the twins knew better. Jeralt had a habit of clenching his jaw lightly after a lie.

“I see. My condolences.” Her tone is sorrowful, but eyes are not. “As for you, two … I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois. What are your names?”

Belial feels his lips slightly twitch, threatening to deepen into a frown. Byleth knowingly tugs at his coat’s sleeve, answering in his stead. “Byleth.” She pauses to point at her brother. “Belial.”

“Fine names indeed,” Rhea deeply grins. Belial is hardly able to control a snarl from his face when Rhea’s eyes linger on Byleth a bit longer than necessary, just like  _ his _ did so many years ago. 

Before he’s swallowed by these memories, Byleth abandons her light grip on his sleeves and directly places her small hand over his. A silent reminder not to get consumed by the past. 

“From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy.”

To this, the entire family of Eisner mockingly stare at the archbishop. What did thanks mean to mercenaries? Nothing more than self fulfillment.

“Humph.” Jeralt grits back these words.

Rhea ignores this and extends a hand. “Jeralt. You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?”

“You want me to rejoin the Knights of Seiros, don’t you.” His tone is exacerbated. “I won’t say no, but…” Glancing at his children, Rhea quickly picks up on his protest.

“Your apprehension stings. I had expected that Alois would have already asked this of you.” Smoothing over Jeralt’s concerns, Rhea turns her attention to the twins. “I must step away for now, but I expect they will desire a word with you soon. Please listen carefully to what they have to say. Until tomorrow… Farewell.”

The twins don’t question who “they” are, knowing the answer will come soon enough. Instead, they stare at the backs of the two retreating figures, contemplating what history their father had here and what could be placed on their shoulders as his children.

* * *

“I can’t believe it. Forced back into the Knights of Seiros.” Jeralt laments to himself for a moment before placing his attention on his ever-silent twins. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. Looks like I’ll be stuck here for a while … and I’m afraid your services are requested as well.”

The twins do not speak but send him an incredulous look. Helplessly chuckling at their mirror reaction, Jeralt elaborates. “They want you to teach, by the sound of it. You heard those brats earlier talking about the Officers Academy, right? Well, the academy just happens to be short two professors. And apparently that damned Alois went and recommended you two to Lady Rhea.”

“Teachers? Us?” Belial’s brows furrow with utter confusion. How did Alois even think of the idea to have them become professors? With less than a handful of sentences exchanged during the journey, Belial is dumbstruck.

“Sounds like work,” Byleth sighs, almost curious to see if any of the high school learning she had done in her last life has remained with her. Jeralt had never put them in formal schooling, something they were rather grateful for. He did, however, have his most educated mercenary, a rogue noble, tutor them for hours everyday so they were not clueless of the educational standards of this world.

“Well, we don’t have the luxury of choice at the moment, Kiddos,” Jeralt shrugs, equally as reluctant in his heart. Before Byleth can continue her complaints, two figures walk into the room.

One is a woman, confidence brimming in every step. The other is an elderly man, his calm steps and proper suiting suggesting a scholarly personality.

The woman is the first to speak, gazing at Jeralt with appreciation. “So. You must be the new professor. My, how stern and handsome you are!”

Jeralt coughs awkwardly, barely able to look at his children in the eyes. If he could, he would have them silently snickering at his uncomfortable position.

“Er, no. I’m not the one you’re looking for. You can handle things from here. Good luck.” Jeralt wastes no time to flee, only pausing for a moment to whisper, “And…watch out for Lady Rhea. I don’t know what she’s thinking, making you a professor like this. She may be up to something. Stay on your guard.” With that, Jeralt dashes off, leaving the twins to the mercy of the unknown.

The woman seems bewildered as she blatantly gazes at the twins. “Oh. It's you two, then? So young …” 

The older man interjects in the defense of the twins. “Competence and age are not necessarily correlated, as you well know. I am Hanneman, a Crest scholar and professor at the Officers Academy.” Byleth and Belial nod to Hanneman’s introduction. “I wonder if you bear a Crest of your own. When next you have a moment to spare, I insist that you pay me a visit so we can delve into the subject further.”

The twins spare a questioning stare when Hanneman mentions crests, but decide to ask for details at a later date, as the woman has already started speaking.

“I’m Manuela. I’m a professor, a physician, a songstress, and available. It’s nice to meet you.”

“You're a songstress?” Byleth asks, Belial sharing a curious look. Though the woman’s image fit a strongress, her other titles pointed in a more scholarly direction. Only her songstress title seemed out of place in her list. 

“Of course. Before I came here, I belonged to a renowned opera company. Perhaps you've heard of me? The Mittelfrank Opera Company's beautiful, peerless–”

Hanneman cuts her off, obviously used to his coworker’s antics. “Spare our colleague the needless chatter, Manuela. Now then, it seems you’ll be taking charge of one of the academy’s three houses each. I expect you haven’t yet been briefed on the nature of each, have you?”

Hearing that they would be separated to teach their own classes, the Belial bristles. Being separated for a few hours a day to teach their own classes did not actually unnerve Belial. Rather, Sothesis’s awakening, her foreboding words, and Rhea’s gaze on Byleth set off alarm bells in his heart. The scar from their deaths in their first lives, from when Byleth took a bullet for him, stubbornly clenches Belial’s heart. Still, Belial calms himself down at the familiar tug on his sleeve. Her gaze is as steady as ever, silently telling him to play along. As usual, Belial does not have the heart to spoil Byleth’s fun and decides to do as she wanted, at least until he found reason to go against these arrangements.

Manulea follows Hanneman up with her own explanation, both completely oblivious to the silent feud that had just passed between the twins.

“Do you really not know? Fine, I’ll do you a favor and explain. The Officers Academy is comprised of three houses of students, each of which is closely affiliated with its region of origin. The Black Eagle House is for students from the Adrestian Empire. Their house leader this year is Edelgard, the Imperial princess, who is in line to be the next emperor.”

“The Blue Lion House is for students from the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Their house leader this year is Prince Dimitri. He is to be the next king of Faerghus.”

Lastly, there is the Golden Deer House, which is for students of the Leicester Alliance. Their house leader is Claude, grandson to Duke Riegan, the leader of the Alliance.” 

“To think that the next emperor, king and sovereign duke are all here. It certainly is a promising year for the academy.” Hanneman’s reverence is obvious in his voice.

The twins suddenly understand the patriotic question the three had asked before their departure. As it turns out, they are all heirs to the reigning powers. Edelgard’s guarded and proud nature reveals itself to be a product of her title, while Dimitri’s character becomes even more curious. Even the small time nobles they had encountered tended to be a bit warped, but Dimitri had such sincere earnesty. Claude is both explained and made more complicated by this new snippet of information. His shrewd character matches that of someone involved in such high politics, but his mannerisms do not fit that of a duke in the least bit.

Manulea sighs and adds, “I’ll say. I just hope none of those little treasures cause any trouble.”

“Hm, quite. For now, I suggest taking a stroll around the academy to get your bearings. And when you’ve a moment, please stop by my research laboratory.”

“The old man has a point. Oh, and keep in mind that I’ve only notified the house leaders that you’re our new professor. It’s more fun that way. I suggest you try spending time with the students. Some odd ducks in that bunch, but they’re good kids. I’m sure Lady Rhea will have more information for you tomorrow, but that should get you two going. Good luck. You’ll need it.”

* * *

As Hanneman and Manlea depart, the twins share their lazy reluctance in silence. In their usual fashion Belial decides to quickly start in order to finish earlier, dragging an uncooperative Byleth behind him. As they step out of the audience room, making their way to the main hall.

A familiar flash of red flickers before them as Edelgard walks up to them. “So you've accepted a teaching position here …” For a moment, Edelgard’s smile falters, but quickly revives itself. “Pity. I was hoping you would lend your strength to the Empire. I never properly introduced myself, did I? My name is Edelgard von Hresvelg. I am the princess and heir apparent to the Adrestian Empire. I wonder if you'll be tasked with leading the Black Eagles …” Flashing a fleeting look at Byleth, Edelgard is quick to hide her gaze and continues. “I hope you've had a chance to meet everyone. Would you like to know more about any of the Black Eagles?”

To this, both twins shake their heads. Byleth murmurs out, “We haven’t met anyone yet. We’ve just been briefed.”

Nodding understandingly, Edelgard smiles brightly. “Well then, shall I lead you to the house classrooms? Around this time, most students are usually there.”

The twins agree, more than happy to have a guide in this unfamiliar maze. As they walk, Edelgard takes the chance to talk about her peers in the Black Eagle House, unable to hide her interest in Byleth’s responses over Belial’s. Finding it rather amusing, the twins say nothing and follow Edelgard to a courtyard. A row of classrooms, each hoisting their house banner, greets them to bustling students. The twins spot Dimitri speaking to another student, his calm and earnest disposition shining true. Edelgard promptly ignores the other house leader and eagerly leads them towards the Black Eagle’s House, only to be stopped when a student runs up to her.

“Edelgard! Professor Hanneman is asking to see you. It seems something was missing from your report regarding the last mission.” 

Clearly unhappy, Edelgard murmurs some light complaints to herself before turning to the twins with a forced smile. “My apologies professors, it seems I’m needed for something. I’ll be leaving now. I hope you enjoy meeting the Black Eagles.” With that, Edelgard hurries off, leaving the twins to meet the Empire’s students on their own. With a slight drag in their walk, the twins make their way towards each student.

* * *

The first student they approach is a broody looking boy, his sarcastic and weary smile unpleasant but distinct. “I am Hubert. A humble servant of Lady Edelgard. I heard you came to the aid of Her Highness. You have my most sincere thanks.” A flash of respect flits across Hubert’s tired gaze, but is quickly hidden. This is Petra. She has come all the way from Brigid to study in the Empire. Back on her archipelago, she is actually a princess. In Fódlan terms, she would be called heir to the throne.”

The girl brightly smiles. “Hello. I am called Petra. I am pleased to be meeting with...no, I am pleased to have met you.” Her vibrant hair matches her bright smile, expelling any tension that could have reigned if the twins had met Hubert alone. 

“Is it true that you saved Edelgard? That's incredible! The name's Caspar, by the way. Pleased to meet ya!” The blue haired boy beams with unrestrained energy, blinding the twins. 

“Linhardt. Good-bye.” The green haired boy is the very opposite, barely able to summon the energy to say his name. Byleth, seeming to have found a kindred spirit, nods her own farewell and turns with every intent to leave without even giving her name. Belial stops her in time to hear Caspar’s retort.

“Yeesh, Linhardt. How'd you get into the academy with those manners? So, are you a student here too? Maybe we'll be in the same class!”

Belial, sensing his sister’s laziness ready to clash with Casper’s eagerness, introduces themselves and evasively agrees they would likely see each other on campus.

“Ah! What?! I don't talk to strangers!” Flinching at her sudden scream, the twins quietly wonder how to respond to the alert girl. Her curled back and defensive pose reminds them of a hamster trying to protect it’s sunflower seeds.

“Bernadetta, this is no stranger! Our house leader owes this person a great debt. Is that not right?” Without waiting for a response, the orange haired boy continues with the flourish of a thespian. “I am Ferdinand von Aegir, legitimate son of the Aegir family, the Empire's foremost house. Are you going to join our class? I look forward to getting better acquainted with you.”

Byleth introduces them this time, the twins having silently decided it would be better to not scare the ~~hamster~~ young girl any further.

The final girl they meet stands alone, her demeanor less formal than the others, obviously not a noble. She smiles prettily, readjusting her hat on her brown tresses as she introduces herself. “Oh my, twins! Is this your first time in the monastery? What brings you here? Oh, my name is Dorothea. Before I joined the academy, I was a member of an opera company in the Empire. You should hear me sing sometime.” 

Bright and cheerful, the young songstress gives the twins no chance to answer her questions and sets her gaze blatantly on Belial. He makes no acknowledgement of this, simply stating their names and dragging his secretly smirking sister away.

* * *

As the twins step out of the Black Eagle’s classroom, they could already feel their energy levels dangerously low. Each student had unique personalities, perhaps showing more than they would have if they knew the twins were professors-to-be.

“Professors!” Dimitri’s eager voice drags the twins out of their weary state. Just standing by him, the twins almost feel his aura trying to inject them with an energy boost.

“Dimitri,” Belial acknowledges, the tension in his brows slightly lifting. Byleth silently nods in greeting, yawning and fiddling with her brother’s sleeve.

“Please accept my apologies for the other day. You came to our aid, yet I hadn't even the courtesy to properly introduce myself. I am Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd, crown prince of the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Of course, at the academy I am simply a student. And I've heard word that you are to become professors here. Delightful news. I still have much to learn, but I'm confident I could benefit greatly from your guidance. In any case, welcome to the monastery. I hear you two are investigating-”

Unknown to anyone but Belial, Byleth had gone missing some time during Dimitri’s speech. Red dusts Dimitri’s cheeks in embarrassment, and he gently coughs it away. Taking pity on another victim of his sister’s whims, Belial speaks up.

“I haven’t met the Blue Lions yet. Black Eagles held us up.”

Grateful for Belial smoothing over this incident, Dimitri nods and leads him to the blue banister. As they walk, Dimitri gives Belial quick notes on each student, his fondness for them obvious and leaking into his voice. Living amidst criminals in his first life and mercenaries in this life, Belial had never encountered such raw sincerity from anyone. Dimitri’s heartfelt words draw the silent man in, and he listens seriously to each description.

The first student Belial meets is a handsome redhead. “Hey there. Are you the mercenary who saved His Highness? It's an honor to meet you. I'm Sylvain Jose Gautier. Feel free to say hi whenever you like.”

“Oh, the skirt chaser.” This, of course, came from Dimitri’s most honest description of Sylvain he could give. Realizing this, Dimitri can barely suppress his chuckle and hides his smile behind a fist. Sylvain’s smile freezes for a few seconds, as if he could not believe his ears, before indignantly defending himself.

Before Sylvain gets too far into his speech, Dimitri interrupts with a quick excuse and pulls Belial away. Belial obediently follows, and they are quick to meet a young woman with soft blonde hair. With a disarming smile and motherly voice, she asks “And who's this? You don't look familiar at all. Do you work here at the monastery?”

With Dimitri there, Belial is happy to allow the prince to introduce him, nodding when appropriate. “I suppose you'll be enrolling at the Officers Academy too then? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Mercedes, and this is my best friend–”

The girl in question energetically smiles and says, “I'm Annette! It's nice to meet you.” Belial nods to the shorter girl. Her orange pigtails bounce as she brightly speaks, blue eyes glimmering. 

They continue to exchange a few pleasantries, with Belial mostly observing or offering a nod, before Dimitri leads him to another pair of students. A girl with golden hair dawning a strict frown, glaring at a navy haired boy with his expressions fixed into a scowl. 

“I have heard all about what you did from Prince Dimitri. As a citizen of Faerghus, I thank you,” the girl beams when she notices their presence.

“He also said you're quite skilled. And he doesn't just say things like that. I look forward to sparring with you and beating you.” The boy has a sharp growl in his voice and only spares a fleeting glare at Dimitri before ignoring his presence. 

“Felix, must you always speak of fighting right away? Oh! And, uh...you may call me Ingrid. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Quick to scold Felix, Ingrid switches to a sheepish smile and sends them off with smiles.

A silver hair boy beams as Belial and Dimitri approach, closing a book shut. “Hi, there! You must be the one everyone's talking about. I'm Ashe. Great to meet you. This here is Dedue.”

“As I said before, Dudue is my aid of four years,” Dimitri chimes, obviously grateful to the taller boy.

A golden earring bounces as Dudue bends his waist, bowing deeply. “I have heard that you rescued His Highness. Words cannot express my gratitude. Should you ever require my strength, please know that I will hasten to repay this debt.”

Seeing Dudue bow, Belial is quick to nod steadily, accepting the thanks. In most cases, Belial would never accept thanks, as it tends to bring about trouble. However, he could not bring himself to disrespect the sincere feelings of gratitude Dudue had for saving Dimitri.

“Dudue, no need to do this. I will repay the professor myself,” Dimitri smiles, patting his friend’s shoulder in thanks. In part, this is because Dimitri naturally does not want his friend to feel indebted to another because of himself. But the other part of Dimitri cannot help but want to have an excuse to learn more about their stoic professor, something he would  **not** give to even Dudue.

“Right, you still need to show me around.” Belial’s voice steadily cranks out one of the longer sentences he’s said entering the Blue Lion’s House, effectively catching the attention of all the students within earshot.

A feeling, something similar to pride, wells up in Dimitri’s chest. And just for a moment, the voices seemed happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had the courage to escape from any situation I found troublesome like Byleth ... 
> 
> Not gonna lie, I keep getting more and more excited to post chapters since we're getting to the part I can insert more of my own interpretation of the game. This chapter, was kinda more boring story progression from the game, but I tried to add more descriptions of Belial's and Dimitri's feelings. I think the differences between the twins are also really revealing themselves in this chapter and it'll only get more obvious from here.
> 
> Anyway, I promise a lot more original content will be in the next chapter so stay tuned! As usual, thank you to all my readers! Special thanks to ThePieFairy and Meribell64, I'm glad you guys are enjoying Byleth's nonchalant attitude!


	5. Decisions, decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byleth meets the Golden Deers and the Gate Keeper. Dimitri starts giving Belial the promised tour of the monastery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to let you guys know in advance, I won't be uploading a chapter next week because I have a final exam. There will probably also be a week in September I don't upload because I'll be moving into a new apartment for the school year. Sorry in advance!

Byleth lets out another yawn as she stretches out beneath the shade of the corridor. Dimitri’s speech was far too long for her liking, and she fled. She hasn’t gone far when a familiar voice calls out to her.

“Well, well. Scored a teaching gig here, did ya? Talk about a great first impression. ” Byleth does not need to turn to know Claude is smiling behind her, likely in his usual arms behind his neck pose. And so she doesn’t.

Pretending not to hear the boy, she continues to walk, softly smiling when she hears a noise of surprise and hurried footsteps following her. Only when he rushes in front of her, blocking her way does Byleth stop.

Still recovering from her antics, Claude pouts out his bottom lip, his eyes trembling with aggrievement. His act freezes, however, when he notices the tiniest curl of her lips. Having closely watched Byleth the entire journey here, Claude had gotten a general hold on how some of her emotions are shown on her face from her interactions with her brother. But this might be the first ounce of emotion she showed  **him** . Forgetting his come back to Byleth’s teasing, Claude can only recover by continuing what he was originally going to say.

“I guess that means I'd better introduce myself properly. I'm Claude von Riegan. I'm from the ruling house of the Leicester Alliance, but don't worry too much about all that madness. I'm guessing you don't know which class you'll be teaching yet, do you? I bet you'd like ours. We're not as...difficult as the other two. Have you met the folks from the Golden Deer House yet? Care to know more about anyone?”

“Difficult?” Byleth murmurs, doubt obvious in her voice.

Claude places a hand on his heart, clenching and giving a wounded look. “Of course! Don’t tell me you think we’re going to be more trouble than the other two classes!”

Byleth let out a light hum, hand reach out to fiddle with Claude’s braid. He freezes, as if any movement would scare her away, not unlike a child with a butterfly on their arm. “Birds of a feather flock together.”

Claude is distracted by her voice for a moment, hearing so much of it in a single sentence shaking him. Realizing he took too long to retort, Claude sighs and raises his hands in defeat. Byleth’s eyes slightly widen, brightening her expression.

“Introduce me.” Without waiting for an answer, Byleth walks around Claude and into the Golden Deer House, an obedient Claude following close behind.

“Are you Claude’s guest? The dining hall's that way if that's what you're looking for.” The first student to greet Byleth is a large boy, muscle packed on his limbs. 

Before Claude can explain, the orange haired girl steps up and speaks. “No, Raphael. That's Captain Jeralt's kid. There should be another though. Hi, I'm Leonie Pinelli–Captain Jeralt's first and greatest apprentice! I'm sure he's told you about me?” Byleth bites back brutal denial and ambiguously shrugs her shoulders.

“Nice to meet you! I'm Raphael Kirsten. Who are you again?” 

“Someone you’ll be seeing tomorrow in class so you should try to remember her,” Claude chuckles, walking away quickly to catch up with Byleth who had left the minute Raphael uttered his question.

A pink haired girl waves Byleth over with a curious grin on her face. “Hey, are you that mercenary? Everyone's been talking about you. I'm Hilda Valentine Goneril. And her name is…” 

“M-Marianne von Edmund…” the blue haired girl stutters. Her demeanor is the opposite of the pink haired girl who shows her bright curiosity and mischievous smile to all. A bit quiet and gloomy, she sparked Byleth’s urge to tease.

“Are you joining the Knights of Seiros or something?” Byleth shakes her head but offers no explanation, Claude simply smiling with an ignorant shrug of his shoulders. “Well, I look forward to seeing more of you!” Seeing that neither would be telling her what she wanted today, Hila blows them off and continues to chat with Marianne.

A girl even younger than the rest smiles respectfully as they approach. “So you're the skilled mercenary who saved Claude, are you?” Sending her house leader a smug look, the white haired girl ignores his pout.

The green haired boy next to her widens his eyes in surprise. “Oh, you are? It's such an honor to meet you! Ignatz Victor. My parents are Alliance merchants.”

As if only now remembering she had forgotten to introduce herself, the younger girl quickly adds, “And I am Lysithea von Ordelia. Please do not forget it.”

The last student Byleth greets is a purple haired noble, a rose sticking out of his breast pocket. “Ah. You must be that renowned mercenary. Perhaps you'd like to join me for a cup of tea sometime. My name is Lorenz Hellman Gloucester. You will want to remember it.”

“Better not, you’ll regret it when he opens his mouth at one of his tea parties,” Claude loudly whispers, sending a sly grin at Lorenz.

“Claude, you wouldn’t be bad mouthing me to our new friend, would you?” Lorenz grits out, his eyes narrowed into a glare.

“No, of course not!” Claude grins, leading Byleth out by the shoulder before Lorenz can unleash his fury.

As they return to the corridor, Claude is reluctant to take his hands away from their professor’s thin shoulders, surprised to feel a decent amount of muscle hidden under her cloak. 

“So? Are you interested in our Golden Deer House yet?” Claude cheekily asks, deliberately bringing his face closer to Byleth’s ear.

Spinning around, Byleth flings Claude’s hands off and grabs his braid, pulling it to bring their faces closer. “Wait and see, Braids.”

With that, Byleth easily flings Claude’s lock of hair away, pulling herself back and walking as if nothing had happened. Her cape flutters as she walks, leaving Claude with an elusive shadow.

Though she knew she still needed to meet the Blue Lions and report to Rhea, Byleth found her legs carrying her away from either of these locations, instead heading towards the lively gate where vendors drew passerbys in with their wares. Children run about with cheer, their parents scolding them with worry. The clang of metal being hammered sings out from the back smith’s while soldiers excitedly gaze upon new armor at the armory. As she lingers above the stairs, a chipper voice suddenly sounds out.

“Greetings! You must be one of the new professors. What a pleasure!” Byleth turns to see a soldier dawning the suit of armor all the others wore. Though his face is shielded by his helmet, a refreshing grin can be heard in his voice, friendly and inviting. Byleth nods, confirming his assumption. 

“As for me, my job is to stand here at this glorious entrance and leisurely watch over the comings and goings of everyone. Make folks smile, you know?” His carefree description of his job is met with a slightly amused look, though she makes no move to react to it. In fact, Byleth feels a bit envious of such a relaxed job, debating if she could convince Rhea to give her a similar position. Of course, she already knows the archbishop would never let her hide away easily nor would her family be happy with her abandoning her duties. 

While Byleth is contemplating these thoughts, giving the gatekeeper little reaction, a family passing by sends the guard a look, sending him into a fluster. “Er...and by that, I mean...to vigilantly guard this entrance with my very life! No levity whatsoever. As of now, nothing to report.” Such a terrible lie almost brings a smile to Byleth, the amusement in her gaze deepening. She turns around, having found just enough energy to meet the Blue Lions.

“See you later, Gatekeeper.”

* * *

“Where would you like to see first?” Dimitri asks, as they leave the Blue Lion’s class. Agreeing to start their tour now, as lessons began the very next day, Dimitri and Belial set off after meeting the Blue Lions. Belial is silent for a moment, contemplating seriously.

“Where you train.” Figuring this is where he’d be spending the most time after meeting Felix and seeing Dimtri’s eagerness to improve in battle, Belial decides the destination.

“Of course, right this way.” Dimitri does not miss a single beat, leading Belial through the monastery. “I hope you have taken a liking to our Blue Lion class. Though some of them have interesting characters, they are all good people.”

Belial thnks back to all the students, slowly nodding in agreement. Ambition all shine bright in their eyes, and youthful stubbornness and conviction in their beliefs. More importantly, their class exuded a certain degree of tolerance he had rarely seen. All in all, the Blue Lions are promising.

“Did any of the Blue Lions catch your attention?” Dimitri asks, remembering the question could not be answered previously since Belial had yet to meet the Blue Lions.

Shaking his head no, Belial instead says, “Just you. I’ll learn about the others personally.”

“Me? Oh. Um. Please forgive me... It's difficult to open up on the spot, don't you think? I'm afraid my story has not been a pleasant one... I do hope that doesn't color your view of me, but I understand if that can't be helped.” 

Dimitri’s flustered response is rather endearing, and Belial suppresses the urge to ruffle his blonde hair. Luckily, the two arrive at the training grounds before much else can be said.

A masked man stands inside, thumbing the edge of a sword. A certain gleam in the man’s eyes earns Belial’s attention, who blatantly stares. Sensing this gaze, the masked man turns towards them, tiredly speaking with curt words.

“What do you want?”

“Professor Jeritza, this is one of the new professors who will be starting tomorrow,” Dimitri explains.

“Belial.” 

Jeritza stares unblinkingly, letting tense moments pass before saying “I am Jeritza. I teach here. Weapon instruction. These are the training grounds. Good-bye.” And like that, he stalks out of the room, the gleam in his eyes growing stronger.

Belial is familiar with that look; the look of battle frenzy. He mentally makes a note to warn his sister, unease again gnawing at his mind. He has no time to dwell on such matters, however, as Dimitri continues showing him the equipment of the training grounds.

“Do you ever train outside?” Belial asks, glancing at the lush woods surrounding the monastery. 

“No, our professors keep classes in their respective rooms. Are you thinking of teaching out there?” Dimitri asks, obvious excitement entering his eyes. 

Belial nods, eyeing the equipment. “Terrain advantages can be crucial in battle. That can only be learned out there.”

“I see. You did make use of the tree during our battle with the bandits quite effectively. Your attacks were also clean and flawless.” Admiration leaks into Dimitri’s voice. Belial picks up a spear, placing it into Dimitri’s grip.

“Everything starts with proper posture. You held yourself too wide. Keep your legs at this distance and arms extended to this degree.” Belial moves Dimitri’s limbs as he speaks, oblivious to Dimitri’s light blush. The young prince, however, is similarly a bit dense and ignores his heated cheeks to memorize Belial’s words. “Try thrusting at that dummy.”

Dimitri nods and charges at the cloth doll, feeling his spear sink in much deeper and cleaner than usual. Shocked by his own sudden improvement, Dimitri turns back to Belial with wide eyes. Seeing such a dumbfounded expression on the prince, Belial does not hold back to ruffle his hair this time, his gaze softening a bit.

“Still have to meet the golden deers. We’ll continue this another day.” With that, Belial turns around and leaves, making his way back to the classrooms. Dimitri is silenced by his cocktail of thoughts, silently burning a hole into Belial’s back. Only when the silent mercenary is out of sight does Dimitri place his gaze on the lance in his hands. Unreadable emotions flash through his eyes.

* * *

Belial steps out of the Golden Deer classroom, the slight furrow of his brow indicating his tired state. Byleth, who had come out of the Blue Lion’s class at the same time, teasingly pokes her brother’s forehead. He grunts with displeasure but makes no move to stop her, allowing her to smooth out his brows.

“Hey kids,” Jeralt greets them, his usual grim demeanor he often has during mercenary jobs present.

They twins nod, noting the stack of papers and books in his hands. As expected, he hands the load off to them.

“Here are the materials the other professors wanted to give you. Go through it and make sure not to lead those kids astray.” Seeing the twins again nod without any complaints, he asks, “What do you two think of the three houses?”

“The Golden Deer has skilled archers. They have flexibility and solidarity the other classes don’t have.” Byleth gives her assessment with a bit of a smile. “But their motivation doesn’t have a clear direction and they seem less active than the other classes.”

Belial nods in agreement. “The Blue Lions focus more on swords and lances. Their values are firm and they’re able to be tolerant of each other. Few groups are able to have both these traits. At the same time, there’s no unity and they’re too stubborn to make use of each other.”

Jeralt takes in these assessments, carefully watching the twins as he says, “I see. You two seem to have high opinions of these classes. But isn’t there a third class?”

They nod. Belial is the one to start. “They’re talented and have most of their weapon types covered. They’re all also the diligent type, and ambitious.”

“Then I suppose you two will want to teach them,” Jeralt notes. To his surprise, both shake their heads.

Byleth continues, “We can’t teach what they need. The other two classes need to learn to harden themselves. The Black Eagles need to soften up to be proper nobles. Nobles cannot be as cold as a mercenary, they need to be soft enough to rule their people.” 

Jeralt is silent, not knowing how to respond to this point. Living as mercenaries, he never thought his kids would read so deep into the political positions of these kids. The sarcastic light in Byleth’s eyes is even more silencing, puzzling the man. What could give his daughter such an emotion? 

“But the biggest reason,” Belial adds, “is their specialty. Most of the Black Eagles specialize in magic.”

“But you two are one of the best magic users in our mercenary group,” Jeralt points out, perplexed by this new reason.

“But we hate it,” they both respond together, effectively silencing their father.

* * *

“How are you enjoying your time at the academy thus far? I hope you have found our halls brimming with the vitality of well-intentioned souls.”

The day ends quickly and morning comes even quicker. The twins find themselves in the audience chamber once again, being greeted by the ever radiant Rhea. Byleth, obviously still sleep, leans on Belial’s arm, eyes half shut and head slightly bobbing. Rhea’s eyes linger on Byleth for a moment but are quick to neutrally settle between the twins.

“Hm. I suppose it is time for you to take charge of one of our three houses of students. I must note that I am personally against entrusting someone as lacking in trackable history as yourself with such a task, but it is as the archbishop desires.” Glaring at Byleth’s sleepy form, Seteth grits out his words.

Manulea smiles kindly next to them. “The Black Eagles, the Blue Lions, and the Golden Deer… All so different. I hope you’ve made it a point to get to know each of them.”

“Since you are new here, we have decided to allow you two first picks. Manuela and I will take charge of the remaining house and substitute in and out so we can do our other duties,” Hanneman explains.

Belial feels Byleth shift her head up, every trace of her previous sleepy state gone from her clear eyes. “Golden deer.” Despite the clarity in her blue orbs, no one can read the emotions in her eyes, as if they were mirrors that never revealed its own form.

“Blue Lions.” Belial’s answer is firm, leaving no room for questions. The professors seem surprised by his absolute tone, quickly brush it off.

Rhea smiles prettily. “Your heart has made its choice, then. All I ask is that you guide these open minds with virtue, care, and sincerity.”

As if they were playing good cop, bad cop, Seteth quickly interjects by saying, “They are all promising youths who bear the weight of Fodlan’s future upon their shoulders. I hope you appreciate what an honor it is to lead them.”

Before anymore can be said, a bright voice calls out. “Brother? Oh! I am so sincerely sorry! I did not mean to interrupt.” A young girl with green hair treads into the chamber, her green eyes widening with surprise. 

Seteth replies with a strict tone, but obvious softness enters his eyes. “I am in the middle of something, Flayn. Is it urgent?”

Flynn quickly shakes her head, smiling at the twins sheepishly. “No, no, it’s nothing. More importantly, who are they?”

“They are our newest professors at the academy.” Seteth sighs, obvious still dissatisfied with the situation.

“Oh my! A new addition to the Officers Academy! I am so very pleased to meet you, Professor. I am Seteth’s little sister, Flayn. I am so happy to make your acquaintance.” The twins nod, saying their own names back. 

“Let us focus on the topic at hand.” Seteth interrupts, sending glare full of warning to the twins. “There is something you should be aware of. In a few days’ time, there will be a mock battle between the three houses, intended to gauge the current progress of the students. We will be using this battle as an opportunity to ascertain your own abilities as well. Please do not disappoint the archbishop. That is all.”

Sent out of the chambers, the twins share a look, exchanging more feelings and information in a moment than words could do in hours. Belial, reluctant to suddenly settle down in the monastery after being told such ominous words by Sothis, and the young girl even appearing in reality. Byleth, however, finds their new situation rather amusing. Each house leader is obviously more than meets the eye and tugs at Byleth’s curious nature. Especially when they resembled  _ them _ so much. 

Nonetheless, their feelings did nothing to change their current job. Without saying a word to each other, they descend the stairs to the first floor and to their respective classrooms. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I had the will power to ignore Claude's handsome face like Byleth, I would be on par with a monk.
> 
> Hello all! Just in case you didn't see my author's note above, I won't be posting a chapter next week due to a upcoming final. Sorry! But onto more fun talks, I'm so glad to be done with most of the pre-written work! 
> 
> The twins have now met all the classes, Byleth has met the Gatekeeper and Belial has made contact with Jeritza! I'll have the twins build these relationships separately to give more characterization to them (and to satisfy my secret love for both of them). 
> 
> So this is something small, but comparing the three classes, what do you guys think each has over the others and what their personal weakness is? Belial says that the Blue Lions have tolerance that other classes don't have, which can be hard to understand when Felix is at Dimitri's neck and Sylvain's true feelings towards women but this will be explained later so keep this in mind!
> 
> ALSO I will be explaining the twin's dislike towards magic but it might take a while.
> 
> Overall, lots of thoughts when writing this week's chapters. As usual, thank you everyone for reading, commenting and/or giving kudos! Mwah!


	6. First Meal with Belial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Golden Deers meet their professor. The Blue Lions experience their first round of training. Belial cooks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be switching to posting every other Sunday, because summer is ending and that means my unit load is about to drastically increase. Sorry, but thanks for your understanding.

Blue eyes stare at Belial with shock, so wide he wonders if they’ll pop out from her skull. Annette stares speechless for a long minute, stuttering out noises until finally blurting out, “Wait, does this mean our new professor is-- No! I really can't believe it! But I was speaking to you so casually, as though we were companions! Oh, I am so sorry, Professor Belial; you just look the same age as the rest of us, and-- Oh, and I’m sorry I just said that too! I really must watch my tongue…”

Her flustered state softens Belial’s expression and he lightly waves his hand. “I don't mind if you treat me as a friend.” Unable to look at her watery eyes, Belial shifts his gaze to the side.

This one sentence garnered sharp inhales from many of the Blue Lions. There was something distinctly endearing about this stoic man saying such a cute sentence while shyly turning his eyes away. Of course, Belial did not know this and simply wanted to ease Annette’s worries. Nonetheless, it would be a while until he knew what the others saw during this interaction.

“You say that, but...I just don't know about all of this.” Annette sighs.

“I'll admit, it doesn't sit well with me either. After all, we wish to show you due respect.” Dimitri pushes down a strange irritating feeling in his stomach. The idea of being able to treat Belial as a friend, and even learn more of the mysterious man, brought a light feeling to his chest. However, his fellow classmates would also have this privilege, meaning they could equally become close to Belial. Such a thought disterbed Dimitri,

“Sure, but if the professor says it OK, shouldn’t that be enough?” Sylvain’s laid back remark clashes with Dimitri’s thoughts. “That is, if Your Highness can consent to such a thing. After all, we’re already speaking this way to our future king, so we may as well relax our speech with our professor too, right?”

Unable to deny this fact, and unable to pass the opportunity to be more casual with Belial, Dimitri slowly gives in. “Well, we’re not in the Kingdom, so it only goes to follow that we should all speak companionably.” With a dramatic sigh, he finally says, “I concede. If the professor says it’s fine, we ought to accept that kindness gratefully.”

Ingrid smiles awkwardly at this new development, saying, “As for me, I'm not sure I can manage.”

Luckily, Mercedes is there to smooth the conversation out. “You don’t have to force yourself if it’s too difficult. You’re fine with that too, right, Professor Belial?”

Belial nods, silently grateful to have someone to defuse these types of situations. He had never cared about the atmosphere in their mercenary group. He was in charge of their survival and the completion of their job but nothing else. However, as a professor, he must pay attention to the social environment they are exposed to as well. Hardship will be learned naturally but there is no need for discomfort in this setting.

Felix finally speaks up, his gaze sharp and intrusive. “Having heard of your skills, I'm eager to meet you in battle. Come to the training ground later. There, you will show me what you’re capable of.”

Answering with a silent nod, he gazes over at each of the Blue Lion’s hands. Their callus formation is how he had been able to tell the majority of them focused on swords and lances, but there were the exceptions. Mercedes and Annette seem to have nearly no marks on their hands, suggesting their prowess to be in magic. Dedue’s are focused on the palm and evenly spread, revealing an axe user. And Asher’s litter his fingers, pointing towards a focus with bows.

“You aren't wasting any time, are you, Felix? As it were, count me in for any such battle.” Dimitri quickly adds himself into the frey. Memories of their last moments on the training ground urge him to follow, both excited to experience another moment as before, and anxious to see others enjoy such teachings.

Felix does not say much, simply grunting out acknowledgement to his words. Before Ingrid can scold him, Ashe swoops in with excited eyes. “Pardon me, but I would also love to observe you in battle, for future reference. If that’s okay with you.”

Belial, of course nods, surprised to see the students so eager to jump into training. Ever the reliable leader, Dimitri notices Ashe’s excitement and kindly extends the offer further, “Ashe, I don’t have you speak of merely watching. You should join us as well.”

Mercedes gives a motherly chuckle, softly adding “If you get injured, simply say the word and I’ll patch you up straight away!”

“Your Highness, do take care not to go overboard,” Dudue warns, unable to completely mask the intrigue in his eyes.

“You worry too much, Dedue. I'll be fine, I promise,” Dimitri grins, patting his aid’s shoulder reassuringly.

Sylvain shakes his head helplessly, sighing out, “My companions, is there not something inherently wrong with crossing blades, as a way to bond with each other?” His exaggerated tone makes his joke obvious and livens Ingrid.

“Huh, I never thought of it that way. Well, if that’s how you feel, I suppose you’ll just stay behind while the rest of us are at the training ground?” She smirks triumphantly as Sylvain whines.

“Ingrid, my dearest friend! You really are too hard on me.”

Turning his attention back to Belial, Dimitri smiles brightly. “Well then, Professor Belial, what do you think? As you can see, the Blue Lion House is a lively bunch, but you’ll find none who work harder. I’m certain we’ll cause our fair share of trouble, but I’m very much looking forward to the year ahead.”

His earnest speech, his eyes that hide such deep darkness, it all fills Belial’s throat with an itchy feeling. Experiences of his first life swirl in his mind, none as earnest and sincere as these most recent encounters. It deepens the unease in his stomach, but also undeniably draws his curiosity in deeper. Where will these kids go? Will they stay true to their morals? Yet despite these itchy feelings, Belial can’t help but soften his gaze at his new class, and a bit softer at a certain Blue Lion.

* * *

“Wait, what?! Are you really our new homeroom professor?” Hilda stares with wide eyes, obvious disbelief in her gaze. She had managed to extort this information from Claude earlier but believed it to be a joke.

Ignatz is similarly skeptical, noting, “Is that true? You aren't quite what I pictured. Oh, sorry, I didn't mean that the way it sounded.”

Backing up her classmate, Hilda adds, “I was sure you'd be roped into joining the knights!”

Byleth notes their unconscious teamwork, taking no mind to their underlying jabs at her. Claude smiles charmingly at her, seeing a chance to cause misunderstandings. “Don't tell me, you chose this class just to get to know me better, right? I'm flattered, really.” The Golden Deers send questioning gazes to the pair, but Byleth simply ignores this, giving Claude an unamused look. Shrugging in defeat and chuckling at Byleth’s bland reaction, he changes the topic. “Whoops. Now that you're our professor, maybe I should choose my words more carefully.”

“I don’t mind,” Byleth mumbles, offhandedly waving her hand. Her words bring a wider grin to Claude’s face.

“Oh? Well, then. Since we're pretty close in age and all, I suppose formalities aren't all that necessary.”

Lorenz does not hide a light frown on his face, openly cutting in and saying, “One must truly marvel at the exceptionality of this appointment. Becoming a teacher to students almost the same age as yourself. How...unusual.” His words may be elegant and attempt to cushion his true meaning, but does not hide it from anyone. “I've heard you are a skilled mercenary, but I cannot shake my discomfort at your new position.” 

His doubts seem to resonate with most of the Golden Deer to varying degrees. Raphael adds in, “Are you really as strong as they say? Let's see your biceps! I bet I've packed on more muscle than you!” His eyes focus on Byleth’s thin arms hidden under her cloak.

“I doubt that. Apparently our new professor was personally recommended by Alois, one of the knights,” Ignatz defends, flashing an apologetic smile to the new professor. His sense of responsibility is refreshing and earns Byleth’s slight nod. 

Seeing this, Claude jumps into the fray before he realizes it, adding, “As far as skill goes, I saw it with my own eyes. What's more, Teach here is the child of the most renowned former captain of the Knights of Seiros.” Claude’s gaze unconsciously wanders to Byleth, awaiting recognition for his words. However, she spares not even a glance at the house leader, and turns her attention to Leonie. An obvious pout settles on his lips.

“I heard. There's no way a child of the captain isn't worthy. It's simply not possible.” Seeing utter admiration in the younger girl’s eyes, a sarcastic light enters Byleth’s eyes. The brief flicker of emotion captures Claude’s attention and he forgets his discontent from being ignored.

“The captain? Who are you talking about?” Lysithea’s confused face crunches up as she ponders a list of candidates.

Leonie, almost offended, is quick to answer. “Captain Jeralt, of course, the most notable captain of the Knights of Seiros and a peerless mercenary.” Her tone shifts from indignant to adoration, earning strange looks from her classmates. 

“An exaggeration,” Byleth softly utters, her tone unreadable. “Simply, an unknown mercenary.” Coupled with indiscernible depth to her words and her blank expression, even Leonie finds herself struggling to directly argue with Byleth’s words.

Instead, she hastily changes the topic by turning her nose up and saying, “Hmph! It doesn't matter what you think of him. Captain Jeralt deserves nothing but respect.”

Seeing a lifeline out of the situation her question created, Lysithea quickly moves the direction of the conversation along. “Hm. Well, after working as a mercenary alongside a father figure such as he, I have high hopes for our professor.”

Hilda, who had remained silent to this point, finally speaks up. “Just because someone is special … doesn't mean their children are special too, Lysithea.” Her tone is slightly taunting and casts a sidelong gaze at Byleth. “Assuming that a child is going to be exceptional just because of their lineage is a bad idea.” Seeing Byleth give no reaction to her provocations, Hilda smartly passes the baton. “Don't you agree, Marianne?”

Still unused to being included in conversations, Marianne stumbles over her response and is barely able to utter, “Huh? Oh, um, yes, I suppose so.”

“Well, we can find out for ourselves in battle. I can't wait to see what tactics you've learned from the captain.” Leonie’s suggestion is met with half hearted protest.

“A battle? Shouldn't we have a welcome party or something first? I'll get the meat.” Raphael practically beams at the thought of meat, hand moving to pat his belly.

Seeing this, Lorenz shows some disdain on his face and counters, “How savage. I propose a nice conversation over tea instead. I am more than willing to procure some high-quality leaves.”

Great unwillingness drags at Raphael’s expression. “Tea? You can't get to know someone over tea. If there's no meat involved, it's not a party.”

“Your common sensibilities are grating to my noble ears. Please quiet yourself,” Lorenz sighs, shaking his head disappointingly.

Claude, coming out of his stupor, takes note of Byleth’s subtle changes in her expression. Gathering up his usual energy, he grins charmingly. “Sorry for the bickering, Teach. As you can see, the Golden Deer is a rowdy bunch. We're not especially unified. You'll find nobles and commoners alike here-- those who are dedicated to their studies alongside slackers.” As he explains this, Claude can’t help but to notice a hint of a smile on her lips. 

Byleth would never explain to Claude that compared to the other classes, theirs had a complex unity that held more steadfast. Social classes and ambition meant little when it came to building a sense of unity if values cannot even align. However, explaining such a thing would be far more work Byleth is willing to give so Claude remains in the dark on this matter till much later.

“But hey, that just makes your life more exciting, right? I really hope you're looking forward to the year ahead as much as I am.” Appealing to, what Claude determines is, Byleth’s good impression, he extends a hand for Byleth to shake. 

Ignoring this, she instead flicks Claude’s braid and nods. A lost sense of excitement is reignited and the twins can only tame their personal cocktails of emotion.

* * *

The twins do not hide their exhausted expressions as they emerge from Hanneman’s office, having just been subjected to his endless chatter on crests. In order to escape his lectures, they had quickly placed their hands above his device but their differing and unknown crests had launched the professor into incomprehensible explanations and speculations.

As they slowly make their way to Rhea’s audience chambers, Byleth attempts to bypass this and heads for the stairs. Unwilling to suffer by himself today, Belial grabs a hold of her shoulder and turns her around, leading her to the ever smiling Rhea.

After exchanging curt pleasantries, Rhea slowly explains their duties. “With each moon, professors of the Officers Academy receive a schedule for the month ahead. It notes the days on which events and missions will take place that month. Pay careful attention to your schedule so that you may thoughtfully plan what you intend to do each month, and when.”

After being given the information and paperwork regarding the upcoming mock battle, the twins quickly disappear without looking back.

* * *

A pained grunt escapes Felix as he finds himself sprawled out on the dirt, again with a training sword being pointed at his heart. Belial stares blankly from above, unmoved by his record of victories being built with the fierce swordsman. Mercedes awaits at the edge of the training grounds, awaiting Felix to admit defeat so she can heal her classmate. 

The others stare with bated breaths. With just a few swings, Belial had defeated Felix at least five times now. It was no different with the others, easily throwing each student to the ground. And each time he defeated someone, Belial would carefully give simple and short advice on their stance, their technique and their execution. Plainly put, Belial has talent as a professor. In combat, anyway. 

“Again!” Felix snarls, frustration clear in his sharp gaze. Belial lowers his sword, allowing Mercedes to heal the fallen swordsman. Placing the sword back onto the rack, he slowly shakes his head.

“No. Every body has its limits.” Though Belial does not directly say it, his meaningful gaze suggests Felix has met his. Infuriated, Felix opens his mouth to argue, but is cut off by Byleth. “Continuing to train without proper conditioning is no less than self ego inflation.” 

His sharp words send Felix into a state of silent contemplation, neither acknowledging or denying Belial. The other Blue Lions are also awkwardly silent, unsure of how to respond to such biting words. Belial’s expression shows no impatience or anger, as if he had not said anything pointed and was merely expressing the truth.

“H-hey! How about we go get something to eat!” Ashe’s forced smile is unconvincing but Belial nods.

“No need,” Felix grits out, quickly rising to his feet the minute his wounds close. Leaving without so much as a word to Mercedes, the Blue Lions are a bit dumbstruck. Sylvain is the first to regain his bearings, offering an apologetic grin to Ashe.

“I'll go check up with him. You guys go ahead, we’ll join you for lunch next time.” With that, Sylvain jogs away from the group, hurrying to catch up with his childhood friend.

“Well, shall we then?” Mercedes smiles, motherly smile reassuring the group. 

“Yes! I’m starving!” whines Annette, quickly linking her arm with her older best friend. The group slowly migrate to the cafeteria, surprised to find it rather sparse. 

“I’m sorry your food may take a while before it’s all prepared,” the kitchen staff sighs. “Many of our chiefs have gone to a cooking exhibition in town so we’re a bit understaffed today.”

“Oh dear, that sounds like quite the predicament,” Ingrid sympathizes.

“Of all days, it had to be today,” Annette laments, her stomach lightly growling in protest alongside her. Cheeks suddenly lit ablaze, she quickly tries to cover it up. “We’ve been training all day, even s-so …” 

Ignoring her flustered attempts to excuse her stomach’s interruption, Belial asks the kitchen staff his own question. “Has a girl that looks like me been here at all in the past few days?” His question earns the curious gazes of the Blue Lions.

The woman takes a moment to comb her memory and answers, “Yes, but only to order some desert at night.” 

Belial’s lips twitch down a bit, easily catching Dimitri’s attention. “Can I use some ingredients and the kitchen?” His question surprises the entire class.

“Professor Belial, could it be that … you’ll be cooking?” Ashe’s wide eyes contain some confusion.

Belial nods, and quickly makes his way into the kitchen when the staff member nods. He surveys the small kitchen, noting the location of spices and tools before checking the available ingredients. The Blue Lions watch with bated breaths, some with obvious doubt on their faces. This is quickly wiped away while they watch Belial’s practiced skill in the kitchen. If he was not cleanly cutting meat and vegetables, he was moving the pan while seasoning the contents. Whenever there was a moment to rest, he would swiftly wash every tool, and even wipes down the counters. 

A drool inducing smell leaks from the pan, beckoning a chorus of stomachs to call out. In moments, the food is plated and garnished with herbs. Smaller side dishes are completed at the same time, bringing delectable variety to the lineup. While the Blue Lions are distracted by the plates of delicacies, Dimitri notices Belial placing a serving in a lunchbox. 

“Is this for Professor Byleth?” Dimitri asks, particularly intrigued by the delicate care Belial takes in arranging the lunch box. He nods, silently motioning for the other students to carry out the food to the tables. 

“My sister has always been picky and has an unhealthy sweet tooth.” An indulgent light settles in Belial’s eyes as he speaks, giving an helpless but indulgent shake of his head. “If the food isn’t to her taste, she’ll just eat desserts without thinking about nutrition.”

“I see,” Dimitri chuckles, imagining the sweet image of Belial fussing over Byleth’s diet. “It seems you truly care for your sister.” Dimitri’s breath hitches as Belial suddenly makes direct eye contact, blue eyes bearing into his.

“I would follow her to hell if I had to, in order to protect my sister.” An obscure emotion fills Belial’s voice, muddling Dimitri’s thoughts. Something stirred in Dimitri’s stomach, his instincts riling up. 

* * *

“Professor, this is so good!” Ashe beams as they all settle in.

“Yeah! I didn’t know you would be so good at cooking Fargues dishes!” Annette explaims, barely able to speak between bites.

“Yes, you must share your secrets with us later,” Mercedes adds, elegantly spooning more food into her mouth.

“I admit, this is much better than the usual meals served here,” Ingrid smiles, eating cleanly and quickly.

“It does seem you are very experienced with cooking,” Dudue notes, a light smile settling on his lips as he savoirs the complex mixture of spices. 

“Yes, this is truly good. How did you learn these Fargues recipes?” Dimitri asks, doing his best to eat steadily and enjoy each bite, while ignoring his tongue’s demand for him to shovel through his food.

“Our work took us a lot of places,” Belial shrugs, eating casually and sipping his water. “Byleth gets a lot of random cravings and it became habit to learn the recipes of the foods she enjoys.” 

“I see, it seems we must thank Professor Byleth for this meal,” Dimitri jokes. 

“It’s too bad Sylvain and Felix aren’t able to enjoy this meal. I think they would have enjoyed this,” Mercedes sighs, reminding the group of the two mixing members.

“This may not be the last time,” Belial murmurs, the implication in his sentence enough to liven the smiles on everyone’s faces.

“You mean, you’ll cook for us again?” Annette gasps, delight dancing on her expression. 

Belial shrugs ambiguously but seeing no sign of denial, the Blue Lions cheer. Dimitri gazes at his professor, contentment and restraint lingering in his eyes.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Someday, math will no longer haunt me and I will be free.
> 
> Hi hi! I'm back from my midterm! Thank you for your patience, hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. REPEAT IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be switching to posting every other Sunday, because summer is ending and that means my unit load is about to drastically increase. Sorry, but thanks for your understanding.
> 
> Anyway, quick thoughts! Belial and Dimitri are starting to become more and more conscious and intrigued about one another! Super fun stuff, I'm excited to have Belial show off his skills in the kitchen and his connection with the ever earnest Blue Lions. However, how do you think Dimitri, who has a fear of losing his loved ones, will feel about Belial's attention on all the Blue Lions? 
> 
> On Byleth's end, less has progressed story wise, but I'm really excited to show off more of her attitude towards the Golden Deer! In the game, it felt like their original doubts were soothed over pretty quickly but I really want to pronounce how distrusting the students are of Byleth at the start. This will be a big thing later on. Particularly Leonie and Byleth are going to have some bumps along the way.
> 
> As always, special thanks to ThePieFairy and Meribell64 who have been chatting with me every chapter so far, as well as AdaraLove and LoseLose! See you guys soon!


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